Losing Control
by JackPotr
Summary: Harry becomes an outcast during fourth year and ends up reaching out to new people to help him along the way. What he ends up with is a girlfriend and a new lease on life with the freedom he has never had before. The title refers to Albus and the Order. Grey Harry
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters created by JK Rowling.

Chapter 1

Harry Potter had such high hopes at the beginning of his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The announcement of the Tri Wizard Tournament and the age restriction being enforced for it had Harry entertaining visions of a 'normal' year where he wouldn't be drawn into some plot to save the school and the wizarding world. Maybe, just maybe, he could remain outside of the spotlight and just have some fun for the first time since starting his education here. While the news of Quidditch being cancelled for the year upset quite a few people, it didn't faze him as he was looking forward to hanging out with his two best friends and just enjoying the competitions and other events that were sure to accompany to tournament.

For the first two months of school, things went pretty well and Harry sat back and enjoyed himself. In the final week leading up to Halloween, Harry began to get nervous. It had never been a good day for him since it was the date that his parents were murdered which left him an orphan and sentencing him to life with the Dursleys. During his earlier years, he didn't notice the reality that October 31st was a cursed day for him because with the Dursleys, every day was a cursed day. It wasn't until his first year at Hogwarts that he discovered that he was cursed to have a horrible day and which was repeated every year since.

As he started getting nervous the closer it got to Halloween, he had a realization which was that the champions names were being drawn on that night. As he stepped into the Great Hall for the selection feast and ceremony, he was resigned to the fact that his name would come out of the Goblet of Fire. He knew this in his heart as nothing else bad had happened to him all day. He sat quietly during the feast waiting for the anvil to drop on his head.

Sure enough, he wouldn't be disappointed as his name came out of the Goblet and all his plans crashed and burned. The look on Ron's face as he stood and stumbled in a daze towards the front of the Great Hall was the first indication that things were going sour. He sighed as a second glance to his other best friend showed Hermione to be concerned but not angry. With the rescue of his Godfather the previous year, his feelings for her began to change and he was hoping for a chance to explore this during what he had hoped to be a 'normal' year. As he walked forward, it was the only comfort he could grasp on to.

An hour later, Harry was making his way back to the Gryffindor Tower when Cedric stepped out of the shadows and approached him. As Harry went for his wand, Cedric held up his hands showing he was unarmed and said "You really didn't want this did you Harry?"

Harry sighed in exasperation "Cedric, as I've already said it a million times tonight, I didn't enter or get anyone else too."

"Relax Harry, I was just curious. You know everyone is going to think you cheated your way in?"

Harry whined "Great, all I need is more attention. Why can't I just have a normal year?"

Cedric laughed "Now Mr. Potter, it does not befit a champion to whine."

That caused a small smile to appear on Harry's face. "Um…Cedric, could I like….make a magical oath to you proving I didn't do it? I mean, I shouldn't even be in the tournament and you are the true Hogwarts' champion."

"I believe you Harry so you don't need to give me an oath. Tell you what, let's how things play out over the next few days and decide what to do from there."

"Thanks for believing me. I just hope everyone else does."

**HP**

As soon as he stepped into the Gryffindor common room, the room went completely quiet. He could tell by the redness of Ron's face that he had been arguing with the others and held a little hope that his friend was arguing in support of him. It took all of a minute for that idea to be completely washed away when he heard the next few words.

Ron snapped out "Always got to be the one in the spotlight don't you Harry. You sat there and lied to me and everyone else saying you weren't going to enter but then you did it anyway. Never mind telling your best mate how to pull it off."

Harry sighed "I didn't enter myself or have anyone else enter me. Why would I want to Ron? I'm already stared at enough to need any more attention. Besides that, I was looking forward to hanging out with you and Hermione this year without the usual drama."

Ron growled "I'll bet you didn't give anyone else the chance because you knew we are better than you anyway and you wouldn't stand a chance with some real Gryffindors competing against you."

Harry growled "Ron, Cedric is the real Hogwarts champion; I'm just being forced to compete on a technicality. I WANT NO PART OF THIS WHOLE THING!"

Ron shouted back "SOME FRIEND YOU ARE! UNTIL YOU QUIT LYING TO US, YOU'RE NOT WELCOME HERE AND YOU ARE NO FRIEND OF MINE!"

Harry looked around and saw the majority of the house nodding in agreement. In a manner that they had never witnessed in Harry before, he set his shoulders and stood with his head held high as he walked to the stairs and up to his dorm. He held it together as he got ready for bed but once he drew his curtains around his bed, he cast a few silencing charms and lay in bed and cried for the loss of a friendship and the little piece of him that died with it.

The next morning, he awoke but stayed behind his curtains until his roommates left for the Great Hall. Once they left, he slowly got up and went about getting ready for the day. By the time he came down the stairs, the only person in the common room was Hermione Granger, his other best friend. She looked up from her book and approached him handing him a stack of toast. "I thought you might want to avoid breakfast this morning so I brought you this."

All he said was "Thanks Hermione. So, how bad is it?" He was pretty sure of what the rest of the school's reaction would be to him if Ron was any indication. He saw her wince before asking "Hermione, do you believe me?"

She glanced nervously at the floor before saying "It doesn't matter Harry. You're my friend and I'll stand beside you no matter what. I mean, after first year, I kind of owe you."

Harry sat back as he munched on his toast as he replayed her words over in his head. He then thought 'Oh great, she only here out of some sense of duty. She doesn't believe me either.'

He nodded his head and then finally stood. "I guess we should get to class then."

The whole way to the class, they never shared a word or spared a glance towards each other. After the previous night, it hurt him to think that even Hermione thought he entered himself. As he thought about it, his idea of trying to pursue something more with her died along with the rest of his plans since it was obvious that she didn't trust him as much as he trusted her. It was probably good that he was so lost in thought that he didn't see the harsh glares that were being cast his way. But while he wasn't paying attention, Hermione was and it was making her very uncomfortable.

**HP**

The next few days saw Harry being treated horribly by everyone including the professors and the students from the visiting schools. The only people who didn't treat him bad were Cedric and Hermione although she was continuing to grow more distant from him. By the end of the week, even she abandoned him as the peer pressure became too much for her to take. Inside, another piece of Harry died at the loss of another friendship.

Ron took advantage of Harry's unpopularity and elevated himself as the de facto leader of the Gryff fourth years since he was the most vocal and the others just followed along much like the rest of the wizarding world. Harry's torment and taunting at the hands of Ron was just too much to take and instead reacting in anger, he would quietly walk away as his fellow fourth years from all the houses laughed and jeered at him. Harry found himself alone all the time including even during class and there were many times he caught Hermione looking at him only for her to quickly turn away. He could see the sadness in her eyes and he thought that it was at least better than the hate filled glares that were now cast his way.

**HP**

The loss of Hermione's friendship was the final straw for Harry and led to him isolating himself from the population of Hogwarts. The accusations and torment by the rest of the students led to Harry avoiding everyone by taking his meals down in the kitchen. While he still attended classes, he was usually the last one in and the first one out and had the distinction of sitting alone in the back of the class. He thought it must have been fine with his teachers as none of them made a comment or attempted to engage him in conversation.

If anyone had really paid attention to him or actually cared for that matter, they would have seen just how haggard and worn he was due to his lack of sleep. He started using the only items he had from his father to avoid everyone and was always the last one to enter his dorm and the first one up and out the door before the others could awaken. Some nights, he would barely get four hours sleep as the others would wait up to try and catch him so that they could hurl more abuse at him.

**HP**

A week after Harry had gone into isolation; a discussion was going on at the Head table that saw Albus Dumbledore quickly putting up a privacy dome. Professor McGonagall said "This has gone on long enough Albus. We're just doing more damage at this point."

Albus replied "He needs to learn that he has to rely on his friends."

She heatedly replied "Not when you are allowing the lies to continue. I know for a fact that no one has seen him except during class. They don't even know if he is still sleeping in the dorms."

Albus sighed "It will all work out in time. Once things settle down, his friendships will be stronger than ever."

She scoffed "I remember another young man who isolated himself and we know how well that turned out."

Albus blanched "You don't think he is turning dark do you?"

She growled out "I don't know! I haven't seen him but in class and before I can catch him, he is out the door and disappears. He doesn't talk to anyone so we have no way of finding out that way either."

With a soft smile, Albus said "Not to worry my dear. I'll speak with him later today at the wand weighing ceremony. He has to show up for that."

**HP**

For the first time in many years, Albus was beginning to second guess his actions. After being summoned to the ceremony, Harry disappeared on the way leaving the messenger to appear alone. When questioned, Colin said "I don't know Professor, one minute he was there and the next he was gone."

The rest of the champions waited for an hour before they had to proceed with the ceremony. With almost everyone incensed at his failure to appear, they completed their ceremony and went about their way. His failure to appear at the ceremony aggravated one reporter so much that she called for a special edition of the Daily Prophet to go out that afternoon.

_Boy-Who-Snubbed_

_By: Rita Skeeter_

_Dear readers, I had the privilege to be called to report on the Wand weighing ceremony at Hogwarts earlier today for the Tri Wizard Tournament. I am pleased to say that I had some nice conversations with the champions who actually bothered to show up. Harry Potter never appeared for the ceremony much to the aggravation of the other champions and the judges._

_According to my sources, this is just another incident in a long stream of them that shows Mr. Potter as anything but the mild mannered young man we were all lead to believe he was._

_After interviewing several students, I found out that the fourth champion, Harry Potter, has allowed the tournament to go to his head and no longer associates with his fellow students._

_Former best friend to the Boy-Who-Lived, Ron Weatherby, stated "He's a foul git and I don't know why I ever put up with his ego for the last few years. He constantly struts around and throws his fame and his wealth around for all to see. I know I wouldn't act like that if I were in his shoes."_

_If his best friend could say that about him, it must be true. I promise to try and get to the bottom of the story. Something doesn't seem right here and it makes me wonder if all the fame and adulation have finally taken their toll and led Mr. Potter on a path of darkness. I call upon the Ministry to try and step in and save our young hero before things get any worse._

**HP**

For the last week, Harry had been writing Sirius with each letter getting more desperate. After getting no response whatsoever, he realized that his Godfather had abandoned him as well. He looked back on his time at Privet Dr and realized that his earlier life had uniquely prepared him for this. Life at the Dursleys was at the least a lonely existence. As he thought about it, he realized that everyone was waiting for him to crawl back to them begging forgiveness. It just set his resolve even more since he knew that he was in the right. It was also when he realized that he found it relaxing not to have demands made on him or his time. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. As he thought about it, he started making his plans to just get through school and then he could go away and never have to deal with the wizarding world again.

He kept his invisibility cloak and the Marauder's map on him at all times as a method of escape and survival. His reasoning was that if he had it, then Ron or Hermione couldn't use it to track him down. During those first few weeks of isolation, if he wanted someone to talk to, he called for Dobby. The conversations varied greatly but always had a recurring theme on Dobby's end. Harry finally gave in and bonded Dobby to him and he quickly realized the benefits of doing it as he finally had someone around him who was unwavering in their loyalty to him. Dobby also proved to be an incredible spy and kept Harry out of the clutches of those that wanted to control him.

The bond they formed went far beyond that of a normal wizard/house elf bond. With both of them wanting so much more than life had dealt them up to this point, the bond turned more into one of family and connected them on an even deeper level. During the bonding, as they each took a part of the other inside themselves, Dobby could feel the taint on Harry's soul and used the love he had for the wizard to slowly remove it as Harry slept. The struggle to remove it about wiped Dobby out but once it was gone, he could feel Harry's power increasing and flowing stronger than it ever had. The power increase in Harry bled over to Dobby and pointed out something else to him. The whiskered old fool had bound Harry's magic many years ago so once again, Dobby started the process of fixing his wizard. The bindings were strong and once again Dobby worked hard while Harry slept. In the end, Harry had a power increase but it wasn't some drastic thing. When he and Dobby discussed it, Dobby told him that while he would be able to cast stronger spells, the real benefit would show in his reserves.

**HP**

Harry continued to avoid everyone and the stress of the situation along with his lack of sleep was beginning to take its toll. It was during this time that he became acquainted with some new people that he had never had the opportunity to be around before and it was all thanks to Dobby.

In his role as a spy, Dobby was listening throughout the castle for Harry's name to be spoken and would pop in to hear whatever was being said. He mostly heard the normal grumblings but was unfortunate enough to catch several conversations amongst those Harry once called friends. It was a very distraught Dobby who fretted for quite a while about how to tell Harry that his friends were just using him and were helping the Headmaster try and control him until he finally just told him and sat with him as he cried.

A few days later, Dobby overheard Cedric saying how much he really wanted to talk to Harry but he could never find him since the only time Harry was seen was in class. Dobby saw this as a chance to help Harry and started watching for an opportunity to get the two wizards together. Dobby had watched Cedric while he was at Hogwarts and knew he was an honorable young man who might be able to help Harry get past the pain of his broken friendships.

While preparing for the first task, Harry spent quite a bit of time in the library and one of the things Dobby had done for Harry was to use his elf magic to hide him. He had one table that Harry could go to and everyone would pass right by without even seeing it. During these times, Dobby would retrieve any books he needed so Harry wouldn't draw attention to himself. Cedric appeared in the library and was looking around for Harry and when he didn't see him, he started to turn around and leave until Dobby popped in and took him by the hand. Cedric looked down in confusion and saw the elf pointing over to the corner where he saw Harry. Cedric nodded his thanks and then went to join Harry at the table.

As he sat down, Harry looked at him in panic. "How'd you find me?"

With an easy smile "It hasn't been easy but an elf just grabbed my hand and pointed you out to me."

"Dobby?"

"Yes Harry?"

He asked harshly "Would you like to explain?"

Dobby's ears lay down and he spoke apologetically "Dobby heard Mr. Cedric saying he wants to talks to you. He didn't feel like the others so Dobby allows it this once."

Harry reached out and patted Dobby's shoulder. "I'm sorry Dobby; I should have never doubted you."

With a sad smile, Dobby replied "That's okay Harry, its Dobby's job to look out for you."

Cedric asked "You have your own house elf?"

Turning to Cedric, Harry said "More or less. Not to be rude but what do you want? The only time I'm looked for is when someone wants to harass me some more."

Cedric gave him an apologetic look. "I know and I'm sorry about that. I'm doing my best to get my house under control. I told them you wanted no part of this."

"Thanks."

Cedric smiled "Listen, I was wondering if you needed any help with getting ready for the task. I don't know what it is but the way I see it, its normally dangerous without being made even more so being three years behind us in school."

Harry smirked "Thanks but I think I've got it covered."

Cedric's looked at him for a minute before his eyes grew wide. "You know what it is don't you? How?"

Harry replied with a smirk. "Yes and I have a very good friend who looks out for me?"

Dobby popped in and hugged Harry's leg. "Harry takes good care of Dobby too."

Harry smiled down at the elf "So it is your opinion I can trust him?"

"Yes Harry, Mr. Cedric is a good wizard."

"Very well, I will take your advice. Um….Cedric, the first task will be us facing dragons."

Cedric rocked back in his chair and muttered "dragons?"

"Yeah, it's only fair you know because I'm pretty sure Fleur and Krum know judging by the superior smirks on their faces."

"Damn, thanks Harry, you didn't have to tell me that."

"Yeah I did. You're the Hogwarts champion; I'm just someone who got roped into this."

"Any idea what you're going to do?"

Harry smirked "Yeah, I'm going to do it the Gryffindor way."

Cedric laughed "So you're just going to charge in and fly by the seat of your pants?"

"Pretty much, it's worked for me so far."

"I'll make sure to watch that if I'm not horribly maimed by then."

"Well, I don't want to toot my own horn but it should be entertaining."

They sat and talked for about another hour just getting comfortable with each other and realized they shared a lot of common likes and dislikes. Before he left, Cedric said "Harry, you can come to me any time if you need anything."

"Thanks Cedric, I appreciate it but I don't want to drag you into the drama that's my life. I'll be fine."

"No, I don't think you will. You can't keep isolating yourself like this. Tell you what, my adopted little sister and me get away from everyone else and just hang out several times a week. Why don't you join us tomorrow night to test the waters? If you don't want to stay, I'll accept it and won't bother you again about it."

"Okay, I'll try."

"Good, I'll send you a message where we're meeting."

"Just call Dobby and tell him. He'll get me there. I'm sure he's standing behind me invisible and nodding his head anyway."

They heard a small giggle then a quiet 'pop'.

"Told ya."

Cedric laughed and said "See ya tomorrow night."

Harry nodded and went back to his books. He looked at the title of the book and saw 'How to Take Down a Dragon Single Handedly'.

He walked away shaking his head. He was thinking 'Crazy assed Gryff gonna try to beat the damn thing.'

**HP**

Harry met up with Cedric and his little sister the next night and had an enjoyable time for the most part. About half way through, he was told "You're nothing like we were told. Everyone thinks you're some snob who doesn't want anything to do with anyone else except your 'friends'. Even now they are saying that you can't be bothered by anyone else."

Harry asked defensively "Who's saying that?"

"Mainly Weasley but Granger is usually standing there beside him and doesn't say anything different. Aren't they supposed to be your best friends?"

Harry learned that his 'friends' had been running interference by telling the other students that Harry wanted nothing to do with them ever since he came to Hogwarts. It was also mentioned that the secrecy behind his adventures and the unexplained awarded points only created more animosity from the rest of the school. Harry was stunned by all this as he never wanted special attention and truly wanted to be friends with as many people who would allow him to. With yet another bomb dropped on him, Harry broke down in front of these people he barely knew. They sat there stunned at his reaction at first but then realized that there was no way this could have been an act. They were genuinely affected by Harry's reaction and moved over and pulled him into a hug.

Harry knew that he wouldn't have gotten through the year so far if it wasn't for his new friends. After his abandonment by his friends and Godfather, they were a welcome addition to his life despite his earlier decision to go it alone. Cedric quickly became the older brother Harry needed just as the girl became more than a friend. The feelings they shared for each other had built up over their meetings and they both knew it was more than a friendship but not one of a brother/sister relationship so even oblivious Harry could tell that there was something different about her. The three of them decided early on to keep their friendship a secret as Harry thought that if it was discovered, they would be subjected to the same ridicule that he had been and he didn't want that for them.

Throughout all their conversations, one thing was clear and it was that Harry was being manipulated but by whom and to what purpose remained a mystery. Cedric wasn't one to give in to conspiracies but in talking to Harry about his life, things just didn't add up. Ron and Hermione's actions after his name came out of the Goblet just screamed that something sinister was at play and with that in mind, they began teaching him the basics of occlumency to protect his secrets and to also give him better focus of mind as well as control over his emotions.

**HP**

With the first task scheduled for the next day, the three of them sat back and relaxed in their current hide away which happened to be the Room of Requirement. Cedric was occupying a comfortable arm chair and going over some last minute notes while Harry and his pseudo girlfriend were sitting on a couch talking in low voices.

Cedric looked up and smiled. "Hey, if you guys want me to leave so you can snog, it's alright by me. Just have her home before curfew."

They both blushed and looked away from each other. As Cedric was laughing at them, he asked "So Harry, just what are your plans for tomorrow?"

"I told you already, I'm going to play my role of the brash Gryff and charge straight in. Ought to be a good show."

"And if that don't work?"

"Oh, plan B is even more fun, I get to use my inner Slytherin and try to worm my way out of the whole mess."

Cedric laughed "Is there a Plan C?"

"Yes, there is a plan C and it includes summoning my broom and getting the hell out of there. I may be crazy but I'm not stupid."

All three were laughing by this point until Cedric finally said "You know the way you fly, you could probably do it that way."

"Maybe but I'm not all that willing to see if my Firebolt can stand up to dragon flames."

"Good point, if I had one, I don't think I'd risk it either."

**GG**

It was finally Harry's turn in the first task and with a little hesitation, he stepped into the arena. He had listened closely to Cedric's turn and was pleased to learn that he was singed but okay otherwise. As the other two champions went, he barely paid any attention as he was focusing on his plan. When he stepped into the arena, he heard Madam Pomfrey screeching at Cedric as he ignored her and walked out of the medical tent to see what Harry had planned. They caught each other's eye and Harry gave him a little smile and a wink.

Harry stood behind a rock for a minute to build up his magical reserves as he knew this would be a make or break spell for him in this task. When he felt his magic pulsing, he stepped out into the open and faced the dragon. As the dragon finally zeroed in on him, he could see the Horntail drawing in a breath so that she could roast Harry. Everyone in the arena gasped as the flames burst forward and Harry just stood there directly in its path. In a split second, he caught the eyes of his girlfriend and just smiled as his wand came up. Without uttering a word, the spell flew from his wand and hit dead center of the dragon breath causing it to freeze in place and then fade away.

Harry heard the announcer saying "Impossible, flame freezing spell strong enough to overpower dragon breath and silently too. Simply amazing."

Everyone in the arena was staring at him with their mouths open as he had done something most thought impossible. The dragon had stopped dead still and was eying him carefully. In his moment of reprieve, the audience started hearing a hissing noise.

_$$Oh great lady, I mean you no harm. You see I only stopped you from burning me and never attacked.$$_

_**$$Yes Speaker, I see that but it doesn't change to fact that you are standing there with a wand and my children are close by. You may be a speaker but all two legs are dangerous to my kind, that's why there are so few of us now.$$**_

_$$Great Lady, I give you my word as a Speaker on my magic that I will never harm you or your children. You see, we've both been played here. They dragged you and your children away from your home and even though you are great, I'm sure this whole experience scared you. I know it would me. In fact, I was forced to come out here today to face you. We are not so unalike.$$_

_**$$I accept your word Speaker and ask what is it you want of me?$$**_

_$$Dear Lady, I only want what you wouldn't anyway. In your nest is an egg that is not yours and not even an egg at all. Would you be so kind as to give it to me?$$_

_**$$I can do that but what will you give me? I know you already promised to leave my young unharmed but I don't see you as a real threat anyway since we could stand here and battle over the whole thing. I'm sure you would tire long before I would.$$**_

_$$Great Lady, of that I have no doubt. My measly powers are nothing compared to one such as you. I offer my friendship but I would need to know what you need before we can come to an agreement.$$_

_**$$Speaker, I would be honored to call you friend and will grant your request if you just do one thing for me.$$**_

_$$Ask Milady and if it is within my power, I shall grant it.$$_

_**$$Feed me, these two legs have not fed us in many days. It took everything I had to try and not eat you. I'm so hungry and so are the others.$$**_

_$$You have my apologies on behalf of the others of my kind. I will see to it immediately. Please don't be alarmed when I raise my wand and I will try to correct this grave injustice. Um…would an acromantula be worthy of a meal for such a great lady.$$_

_**$$That would be acceptable Speaker.$$**_

The crowd watched with their mouths hanging open as the dragon stepped over to her nest and sniffed the eggs. Once she had found the one she wanted, she picked it up in her mouth and using her forked tongue, held it out to Harry. He bowed deeply to her as he took it in his hands.

One step back and he held up his wand towards the Forbidden Forrest. "Accio Aragog's eldest son."

He felt the tug of magic and dug deep to complete the spell. A few moments later, a horse sized spider came sailing through the air and landed at the dragon's feet. The dragon moved as quick as lightning and bit down on the screeching spider. One chomp later and there was nothing left.

After a satisfied burp, the dragon said _**$$Thank you speaker.$$**_

_$$You're welcome Milady. Tell me, can you understand what I'm saying when I speak my own language?$$_

_**$$I understand some of it Speaker$$**_

Harry nodded then turned back to the judges. He cast a 'sonorous' on himself and began speaking to the crowd. **"I would like to know who thought it a good idea to not feed these noble creatures for several days before this task? This Great Lady behind me said that it took all her will not to eat me as her feeding instincts were taking over."**

Dumbledore stood and responded "We thought it would make the dragons seem fiercer and make for a better challenge. You would have us believe that you spoke to this beast?"

"**She is no beast. She is an honorable creature who thinks and feels much like we do. I would think you of all people would recognize this fact. Please have the handlers feed them at once before something dreadful happens."**

Harry cancelled his charm and after a quick bow to the dragon, who returned it in full view of the audience, walked out of the arena and towards the medical tent. As he approached Cedric, he was told "Nice show, what are you planning for an encore?"

"You never know. Might let out my inner Hufflepuff next time."

Cedric laughed and then walked back into the tent behind him to wait for the show that was sure to come.

Over the course of the last month, the trio talked of what would happen once the first task was complete. Harry's girlfriend had been watching Ron and Hermione and had seen how their star was fading without Harry around. With all the initial bluster running out of steam, they had started slipping back into obscurity due to their treatment of Harry as others realized their mistakes. Since Ron was the main ringleader and Hermione was always around him, his treatment of others caused everyone else to distance themselves from them and they soon realized that it was Harry that kept them in good graces with the rest of the school. She quite accurately predicted that they would come crawling back after the first task and beg forgiveness. They left it up to Harry how to handle it but it didn't take a genius to realize if he accepted them back then things between the three of them would change.

Sure enough, Madam Pomfrey barely had time to start checking a protesting Harry before Ron and Hermione burst into the tent. His 'girlfriend' was sitting beside Cedric as he was recovering and watched the whole thing out of the corner of her eye. She was extremely nervous because if Harry accepted them back, she knew her relationship with him was doomed to fail. Seeing this, Cedric reached out and squeezed her hand in comfort. He whispered "Have a little faith. Everything will work out fine."

She whispered back. "I really like him Ced. I want the chance to see if it could be more."

"Just trust him and you'll get that chance."

She heard the platitudes being spilled out by Ron and Hermione and it made her stomach roll. "Harry, we're so sorry, we should have known better and never doubted you. Please forgive us."

"Yeah mate, that was awesome! Can't we go back to the way things were?"

"Finally figured it out huh? I'll accept your apology…..but I won't forget what you did."

Hermione asked "What do you mean by that?"

"What a re you talking about Harry?"

"Sorry doesn't quite make up for the crap I've had to deal with this last month especially from my two _best _friends. I've always been there when you needed me but the moment I needed you, you both turn coward and run away or better yet, accuse me of being something I'm not. It amazes me just how little my two _best_ friends so easily forgot that. You know, these last few weeks there's been a regret running through my head for the last month and you know what it was?"

They both shook their heads.

"My biggest regret happened in first year when I risked my life to save someone who would turn her back on me so easily. I guess we live and learn as we grow up and I learned to protect my own life instead of risking it for others."

Those words shocked to two of them so hard that they couldn't come up with any coherent words to respond. Finally, Hermione regained enough composure to say "Surely you don't mean that it would have been better if I had died? Please tell me what I can do to make this up to you."

Harry softly said "There's no making up for this Granger. You should know by now I don't trust easily and both of you betrayed my trust. I don't know if you'll ever get it back and if it does happen, it definitely won't be anytime soon."

Albus Dumbledore managed to make it to the medical tent just as the last words had been said. "Now Harry, that's no way to act towards two of your oldest and dearest friends."

Harry huffed "No Sir, it isn't but they aren't really my friends are they? Besides, I think it's really my decision on who I should trust or not."

"Mr. Potter, you will apologize to the both of them right now." Behind him, he saw Ron smirk.

"No Sir, I don't think I will."

Albus scowled "That will be detention Mr. Potter. You will learn to be respectful of others."

Harry snapped back "Why? Where were the detentions when everyone was being disrespectful to me? I didn't see you flying in to save me from the harsh words and humiliation."

"That's beside the point. You will be serving detention with me this very evening."

Harry replied "Yes _Sir_, if that is what you wish but it _won't_ change my mind about these two."

McGonagall said "Mr. Potter, you will show the Headmaster some respect."

He looked at her confused. "Ma'am? How am I being disrespectful? I'm only stating my opinion and considering the situation, I thought I was being quite calm about it."

"I won't have you back talk me young man."

Harry looked at her unbelievably. "Ma'am? I am doing everything in my power to be respectful and reign in my temper as you have suggested I do on several occasions. To be honest, I think I've done a pretty good job of not exploding at the daily taunts I have been subjected to by my _friends_ and everyone else. All I ask is to be left alone."

Minerva said "Well, from this point on, you will start socializing with your housemates once again."

"No ma'am, I don't think I will. You cannot force me to be friends with any of them after what they have done to me this year. Quite frankly, I don't trust the lot of them and am better off on my own."

Albus quietly said "Tom acted the same way Harry."

Harry turned around and looked him straight in the eye. "Sir, I can understand why if he had to go through the crap I've had to over the last few years."

Albus drew back in shock. "Surely you don't mean?"

"No Sir, all I'm saying is that if he was subjected to the same crap I have been, I would have preferred being alone as well."

"I won't have you isolate yourself any longer."

Harry stepped towards his bed. "Sir, I was the one who was isolated first. Since I've come to accept it, I find my own company preferable to others who would put me down and insult my parents. I am NO liar or cheat Sir."

"Never the less, you will be in the company of Miss Granger or Mr. Weasley at all times. In fact, I think the map and cloak should be handed over to Miss Granger for safe keeping."

"No Sir."

"What do you mean no sir?"

"I mean no sir, I won't hand over the only things I have of my father and no sir, I will not remain in their custody."

"You will do it or I will have you expelled."

"By all means Sir, expel me. I'm sure any other school would be better than

this one."

The whole conversation was being watched by the other champions along with their Headmasters as well as Ron and Hermione. Cedric could see that it was getting ready to get out of hand and he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. Both of the other Headmasters stepped forward and said "Mr. Potter, if you are thinking about changing schools, we would be happy to discuss it with you."

He looked at the two of them and sneered. "Your students treated me no better than my own. Why would I even consider your schools?"

Albus said "Mr. Potter, you need to stop this nonsense and forgive your friends."

Harry's anger finally burst forth. "Oh, so it's okay for them to disrespect me but the moment I try to defend myself, I'm suddenly the bad guy. You know what, bugger this. I refuse to sit that detention."

Harry stormed out of the tent and ran straight into Remus and Padfoot. He stopped and looked at them. "Oh so now you want to show up. Never mind answering my letters when I was pleading for help. For all the good you do me, I was better off before either of you ever reappeared in my life."

Remus muttered "Oh shit" and was answered with a bark from Padfoot as Harry stormed off. No one noticed the dark haired girl who slipped out of the medical tent and followed Harry to the castle.

**ND**

The next time the three of them met; they talked about everything that had happened in the tent. Realizing the subject was still a sore point for Harry, Cedric tried to change the topic. "That flame freezing spell was incredible. How'd you pull that off?"

Harry snorted "I was lucky as hell. I had one shot that the dragon would be stunned by it and took my chance to try and talk to her."

Megan asked "You based you whole strategy on the chance you could shock her long enough to talk to her?"

"Yeah but I wasn't really sure if we could communicate with each other."

Cedric laughed "Typical Gryff, all power and no brains."

"Hey, I resent that. Just because I was willing to bet everything on a hunch doesn't mean I'm stupid. Just incredibly reckless."

"What would you have done if it didn't work?"

Harry laughed "I told you. Plan C was to summon my broom and get the hell out of there."

Megan said "Typical Potter move."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Hey now, I wasn't bashing you. It's just that the Potters are known for pulling incredible feats like that and walking away from it."

"I wouldn't know."

Cedric looked concerned and asked "What do you mean?"

Harry stood and started pacing. "I don't know anything about the Potters except that James and Lily were my parents and they died protecting me."

"Come on, you can't be serious…(Harry scowled).. Damn you aren't kidding. You don't know anything about the Potters?"

"Not really. I've heard a few things here and there but no one has ever told me anything about my family."

Megan said "That's just so wrong. I'll see if I can find anything. I might even write my dad, he's always going on about how he was friends with your dad in school. Say, don't you have a Godfather? Most of the old families did that just in case."

"Yeah, I've got one but he hasn't been much help. In fact, he's been ignoring me completely."

"Who is it?"

"I can't really say. It'll put him in danger."

Cedric said "If he's not doing his duty, then why should you care?"

"He's all I have left. I keep hoping things will get better one day but right now, he's kind of got to stay hidden."

Megan had been sitting there watching him and finally said "You're godfather is Sirius Black. Isn't he?"

Harry paled and then looked away from him. She nodded in understanding before saying "You know, you are the heir to House Potter and I don't think I've ever heard of Mr. Black having any children so I'd imagine you're heir to House Black as well."

Harry snorted "I don't know about all that but since he's ignoring me, I guess I'll never find out either."

Cedric said "Well then, I'd suggest having Dobby take you to Gringotts to find out."

"Not with Dumbledore watching me like a hawk. I'd have to make sure he's too busy to notice me leaving the school."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own or make any claims on Harry Potter and the characters created by JK Rowling. I do thank her for allowing us to play with the world she created.

AN: Hey everyone, first off, I'm overwhelmed by the response I received for the first chapter and I thank you for it. I wanted to leave a few quick notes about my thought processes for this story as I realize that what I'm thinking may not be obvious to you. My wife tells me all the time that she can't read my mind but she's as warped as I am so what's your excuse? LOL

I admit that betrayal fics are easier to write for me. In my opinion, it takes a lot for Harry to change and step in another direction. I merely use betrayal as the catalyst for these changes. I have also been accused of hating certain characters and that is not the case as I just try to use the characteristics that they have shown in the past although I reserve the right to expand upon them. Ron is a teenage boy and acts before he thinks. For that matter, so is Harry so why shouldn't they butt heads if they are so much alike. Hermione may seem OOC but she always (in my opinion) was insecure about the acceptance of her peers and we all know just how powerful peer pressure can be. Did she make the right decision? No. Will it haunt her? Yes. There are always consequences to our actions. Why does Harry treat her the way he does? He was falling in love with her and her abandonment, above all others, hurt him the most. Now, I apologize for not making myself clearer but the staff is under orders by Dumbledore. Even when they know what they are doing is wrong. I think Minerva will be the first to realize just how badly they have messed up but like Hermione, her actions will cost her. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 2

Harry ignored his detention with the headmaster and over the course of the next week; he was given replacement detentions that he also chose to ignore. In his anger, Albus was taking Harry's lack of respect out on the staff and they in return were becoming shorter tempered than normal. They saw Harry's rebelliousness as the reason behind their misfortune. As his head of house, Minerva received a more potent dose than the rest. In her frustration, Minerva took the only opportunity she had with Harry and tore into him in the beginning of a transfiguration class with his classmates all present for the show. In the past, this would have mortified Harry but now, it just increased his anger. "Mr. Potter, you will knock off this foolishness and sit your detention with the headmaster this evening or further action may be taken in this matter."

Harry calmly replied "Professor, I still stand by that I said earlier and will not sit a detention for something that isn't covered in the student guidelines as a punishable offense."

She pinched her nose. "Fifty points from Gryffindor for your disrespect Mr. Potter and you will start doing as you're instructed."

The rest of the Gryffindors glared at him as he smiled. "Professor, would doing as instructed include being forced to participate in a tournament that I have no desire to be in. Why would I risk my life for some bloody trophy and a thousand galleons?"

Draco muttered "Maybe you could buy some decent clothes for once."

Harry was seeing red but before he could say anything, Ron said "Why do you continue to lie?"

Harry turned his glare on Ron and said "I have never lied to you Ron. Can you say the same? Professor McGonagall, you can take as many points from me as you want and it still won't make me sit in an underserved detention."

Neville spoke up "But what about the house cup Harry?"

Harry smirked "Mr. Longbottom, I prefer Potter or Mr. Potter. Only my friends may call me Harry and I don't see any of them in this room. After the way my 'house' has treated me this year, I couldn't give a damn whether you have any points or ever win either Cup again. In fact, Professor, while we are on the subject of houses, you can take this as my resignation from the Quidditch team. I will no longer support a house that doesn't support me. You people made damn sure that Gryffindor isn't my house anymore and is just where I sleep at night. I have no desire to ever help you in any way from now on."

Minerva cut in. "We will discuss that during your detention Mr. Potter."

Harry snapped back. "You mean you will discuss it, I won't be there."

"THAT will be enough Mr. Potter. I won't have you disrespecting me in my class."

Harry got up and walked to the door. As he did Minerva asked "And just where do you think you're going?"

"I've had enough of your badgering me so I think I'll use my time to actually learn something. If you can't live with that then you can expel me. At this point, nothing would make me happier."

Hermione said "But the tournament, you'd lose your magic."

He glared at her and said "My life was a whole lot better when I didn't know about magic. At this point, the loss of my magic is looking better each and every day."

The whole class was stunned at his comment and only came out of their shock when the door slammed as he left. As soon as he stepped out of the door, he immediately called for Dobby to take him to his hiding place. They had no sooner disappeared when the door jerked open and Minerva charged into the hallway. When she saw there was no trace of Harry, she sighed in disappointment and then reentered the class. She walked to her desk and heavily sat down thinking about all that was happening with the son of two of her favorite students. Her thoughts were trying to understand how things could be so bad that someone as gifted as Harry would consider losing his magic a good thing. She eventually glanced at the students who were looking at her expectantly and said "You can go. I don't think I could teach right now if my life depended on it."

As the class started filing out, Hermione approached Minerva and asked "Professor, is there anything I can do to help?"

She looked up at the sincere look she was getting. "No Miss Granger, I think we've done quite enough already and we're going to pay the high price for our stupidity."

Hermione nodded her head. Harry's comment had stopped her cold and she couldn't stop herself from saying. "What about the price Harry paid?" As soon as she said this, she turned and walked out of the room.

**LC**

A week passed since the confrontation in transfiguration and Harry still hadn't returned to her class. The rumors going around were pretty accurate in their description of the confrontation and it made a lot of people stop to think. With the Gryffindors, the loss of their unbeatable seeker got their attention. His claim to no longer care or support Gryffindor was a slap in the face until they realized that they had basically done the same to him. The fact that they had pushed their most famous housemate into considering leaving his magic and the magical world behind was shocking and if it got out that they were the cause of it, their futures would be over before they even began as happened with all true traitors.

As normal with any events or drama centered on the other houses, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw just sat back and watched. The only house that saw the situation as a positive was the Slytherins. The loss of the boy-who-lived would be a huge boon for the pureblood cause. The loss of Harry as a seeker meant that their house stood a much better chance in the future in the Quidditch cup. They also knew that if Gryffindor imploded, they would no longer be seen as the social pariahs any longer by the other houses. It was even suggested in the common room that Slytherin move to openly support Harry. It was quickly shot down but it did give some the idea that an alliance with the outcast Gryffindor would be very beneficial and may even add to the problems that house was already having.

Albus was mortified that Harry thought things were so bad that he would consider the loss of his magic a good thing but as always, he 'knew' that if he could just talk to the boy, he could make him see reason but he was not about to antagonize Harry any further by making any more attempts. He thought 'Yes, that is a good plan. I'll let him come to me.' It never crossed his mind that Harry was at the point where he would give up his magic before ever seeking Albus' counsel again. In the end, Albus asked the staff to back off to avoid another altercation with Harry so that they were leaving him alone for the moment. Albus may be a manipulative old fool but he wasn't stupid. Stupid would be provoking Harry into doing as he said and then they eyes of the whole Wizarding world would be on Hogwarts and not in a good way.

Harry's talks with Cedric and his 'girlfriend' led to one conclusion, what ever was going on, they needed him a whole lot more than he needed them. His argument with Professor McGonagall had even earned him a decent amount of respect as no one had ever stood up to and then shut down the transfiguration professor since everyone was afraid of her Scottish temper.

During the next week, the twins along Ginny tried to approach him and apologize but all they got in response was Harry holding up his hand and saying "I don't want to hear it" and walking away. The twins were known for their tenaciousness and again approached him the nest day. When they tried to apologize, he responded but not as they were hoping.

He simply asked "Where was your support when all of this started? Where were you when Ron was calling me all those names and turning the whole school against me?"

Fred said "Harry?"

He growled out "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Granger and that idiot brother of yours. You've lost my respect and trust and like Granger, you just stood there and said nothing. Since I have become as outcast, I have come to realize I don't need any of you and if you continue to harass me, I may just find it necessary to take steps to ensure that you never bother me again."

George smirked "And what may that be little Harrikins?"

Harry sneered at them and said "You are aware that at least one member of your family owes me a life debt."

The twins and Ginny paled at what he said and immediately backed off. That was the last time they directly approached him. For them, it was clear how much they had hurt Harry by their inaction. Ever since he came to Hogwarts and into their lives, they had considered him a little brother and now saw how deeply it affected Harry and also how much it had changed him. The old Harry would never have made such a threat but the new Harry along with the hard look in his eyes made them aware that he was more than capable of it now. Ginny stood there in shock the whole time and cried herself to sleep for days thanks to her stupidity. Her dream of one day marrying Harry had gone up in smoke and she had no one to blame but herself for not standing up for Harry as she knew he deserved.

The thoughts going through most of his former friends' minds were of how badly they had treated Harry and how much they owed him. They followed the orders given to them by their parents and the headmaster and now were going to pay the price for their disloyalty. As Hermione sat and thought about her actions, she realized that if something were to happen now, she couldn't count on Harry to come and rescue her and she cried herself to sleep that night for the friendship she had walked away from.

**LC**

One evening, Albus decided to have a meeting for some of the adults in Harry's life in an attempt in trying to find a way to reach him. Minerva started off by saying "We wouldn't be in this situation in the first place you hadn't been playing your games and after the argument in my class last week, he won't give me the time of day. I managed to catch him out in a corridor the other day and informed him I had tournament news for him. When I told him of the Yule Ball, he just nodded at me and turned to walk away without saying a word. When I asked him who he would ask to be his date, he replied he wouldn't have one. I told him it would be an embarrassment to the school if he showed up without a date and he replied with the school had embarrassed him so why shouldn't he return the favor."

Albus sighed "Inform Miss Granger that she is on standby to be Mr. Potter's date for the ball."

Sirius spoke up "I don't think that's such a good idea. I've seen the look in his eyes before and it doesn't bode well for anyone. It's best just to leave him alone for now."

Albus said "Even James forgave after a while."

Without the normal sneer, Severus said "He wasn't speaking of James. The look in his eyes is all Lily. I've seen that look before and if you keep pushing, you'll have something worse than Voldemort to deal with."

Albus glanced over and saw Sirius and Remus nodding in agreement. Albus looked horrified and turned to Sirius "Do you think you can talk to him?"

Remus snorted as Sirius replied "Um…no. The last letter I sent him returned unopened and when I took it off the owl, it exploded in my face. No, I'm sorry Albus but you ordering me to not write to him have cost me any trust I had with him along with any type of relationship. I doubt he would even accept my friendship."

"Remus?"

He was shaking his head. "The last time I saw him; he pulled out a silver knife and told me it would only take a scratch. He also bluntly told me that Sirius and I had betrayed both him and his parents. After that I backed off immediately."

Albus said "He also won't give me the time of day or even look in my direction at this time. I was hoping he would turn to me and I could talk him through everything."

Severus actually snorted "You mean put a compulsion charm on him to make him behave."

Albus glared at him. "That will be enough of that talk Severus. Arthur, he likes you. Maybe you could talk with him."

Arthur nodded his head. "I would be glad to try but he is not on good terms with the rest of my family at the moment and quite frankly I don't blame him. That's one of the reasons I came to this meeting so that after we are done, I could have a little discussion with them about this whole mess."

Severus said "At least Molly hasn't sent him one of her usual howlers this time."

Arthur turned to look at his wife and asked "Why would he say something like that?"

Molly paled and shot a glance at Albus. She said "Arthur dear, let's just let them work it out for themselves. They are only kids after all."

Arthur replied "I suppose we could give it until Christmas but if nothing is resolved by then, I suppose I will have to remind them that House Weasley owes Harry a debt we can never repay and I won't stand for his mistreatment. Harry's a fine young man but if they keep pushing, I fear what may happen. And I haven't forgotten that howler comment. We will speak on it when we got home."

Albus looked more worried "How do we get him back under control?"

Sirius snorted as Snape replied "I don't think control is an option anymore. You pushed too far and now you'll have to live with the consequences. With the power he showed in the first task, I'd bet that he's broken your bindings even if he doesn't realize it yet."

Sirius asked "What bindings?"

With a glare at Severus he said "I had to place bindings on Harry when he was younger due to the accidental magic he performed during his time with his relatives."

Remus said "Accidental magic only really occurs during times of great distress or when his life is threatened. How many bouts of accidental magic occurred?"

Severus said "I think about twenty but I lose count."

Everyone glared at Albus as they got a picture of Harry's life they didn't want to hear.

Albus snapped "Severus, may I ask why you are aggravating the issue?"

"It's quite simple Headmaster. For the longest time, I only saw Harry as James' son. His actions lately are all Lily and I…I owe it to her. My attitude with him up to this point will probably cause him to never accept my help but I will no longer sit back and watch as he continues to get kicked while he's down." With a look in his eye that was pure Slytherin, he added "You just better hope he never goes to Gringotts or he will bury us all."

Minerva asked "What do you mean by that?"

Severus smirked. "Minerva, even I know the implications of a sword being summoned after lying untouched for a thousand years. Harry is the truest Gryffindor in your house and not only is he Godric's last blood descendent, the sword gives the conclusion that he has been chosen as Godric's magical heir as well."

Severus' comment caused Albus to make a note to himself to visit Gringotts the next day. They never heard the soft 'pop' as an invisible Dobby left the Headmaster's office.

**LC**

After the Yule Ball was announced, he turned to his 'pseudo' girlfriend at their next meeting and said "If I was able to do what I wanted, you'd be my first choice to ask to the ball. I know that would place unwanted attention on you and I don't want that. I would have been honored and proud to escort you."

He was rewarded with a kiss to the cheek along with a hug. During this she whispered "And I would say yes in a heartbeat if I was asked but I know you can't. I'm happy just being your very good friend."

Trying to change the subject, Harry asked "Why do you refer to each other as brother and sister?"

They both looked sad at the question and Harry started to regret asking. He said "If it's too personal, you don't have to tell me."

Megan managed a sad smile. "No, it's okay. It just hurts when I think about it."

Harry said "You guys have been there for me. I'd like to think you could trust me to do the same for you."

Cedric moved over and put his arm around Megan. As she leaned into him, he said "Meg had an older brother named Michael. We were best friends growing up and were always together. For some reason, no matter where we went or what we did, this bratty little girl always invited herself along. Mikey adored his bratty little sister and so did I so it wasn't a problem for us and if she was with us, she couldn't go tell on us. (Megan punched his shoulder and Harry chuckled.) A year before we were to start Hogwarts, Mikey came down with a bad case of Dragon Pox and the normal medicine wouldn't work for him."

Megan quietly said "He was allergic to one of the ingredients."

Cedric sighed "Without the medicine, they couldn't treat it. He eventually became so weak that even his magic couldn't sustain him and his core started draining. I think he knew he was going to die and he asked for me."

Megan hugged him tightly. Cedric shed a lone tear. "When I got there, he made everyone leave so that he could talk to me alone. He grabbed my hand and said I'm not going to be around much longer so I need a favor from you. Of course I told him he was my best friend and I would do anything for him. He then told me that I had to be there for Meg and that I would be her big brother from now on. At ten years old, we didn't know much about magic and oaths but I promised him and there was a flash of light. Ever since then, she's been my little sister."

Harry moved to hug the both of them just as they had done for him. "I'm sorry. If I had known, I would've kept my mouth shut. I…I'm a selfish prat because I think that only bad things happen to me. You've always just talked about my problems and I never considered you may be dealing with your own things."

They both pulled him closer and Megan said "Harry, you're a very giving person and you didn't know. We don't talk about it much because we loved him and miss him. Mikey was a lot like you and in a way, our trio is back. I know he would have liked you."

Cedric chuckled and said "Could you imagine the trouble Mikey and Harry could get into together?"

Megan giggled "Yeah, I'm sure I would have had my hands full."

Later that night when he was alone, tears were once again running down his cheeks for his lot in life and that of his friends. If it wasn't for them, he would have already walked away from Hogwarts and the magical world.

**LC**

The night of the Yule Ball, Harry showed up without a date to which McGonagall immediately assigned Hermione to be his escort. When she tried to wrap her arm in his, he quickly pulled away and stepped away. She tried to protest but was quickly told for her not to touch him. She had to hurry to catch up with him as he walked away from her and into the Great Hall. He never noticed the beautifully decorated hall as the first thing he saw was the person he most wanted to be with on another's arm and it stopped him cold. It took Cedric coming up behind him and quietly guiding him to the table to get him to move. Harry sat there gazing towards the goddess that was Megan Jones. Her long dark brown hair was normally worn straight or pulled back into a pony tail but tonight she had fixed it to where it was flying around her head in loose curls. The way it framed her face brought out her olive complexion and highlighted her small nose and her two gorgeous dark brown eyes that he just loved staring at. She was slightly taller than he was and slim, the dress she wore hugged her tightly and left no hint at the girl that was normally hidden beneath loose robes. He knew he was attracted to her emotionally after their many hours of talking but he wasn't prepared to be struck speechless by her appearance. It was then that he realized that he had the same stirrings of feelings for Megan as he once did for Hermione and just hoped and prayed that one day she would return his feelings.

_(In the movie adaptation of my story, LOL, Megan will be played by Penelope Cruz.)_

Cedric seated himself next to Harry and was the only one who heard him mumble "beautiful". Cedric smiled and whispered "Yes she is."

Harry glanced up and Cedric could see the pain in his eyes. He whispered "There is no romance there Harry. They have been friends for years. You know she'd rather be here with you."

Harry nodded but it didn't ease the knot in his stomach. Cedric noticed his discomfort and leaned over to whisper "What's the matter?"

Harry sighed "I can't look at her with him without my stomach getting in knots. (He looked up with pleading eyes.) What does that mean?"

Cedric smiled "It means that you really like her and it's something you need to tell her and talk to her about. It also means that if she thinks about you the same way, then you'd better be good to her and treat her right. She's one in a million."

Harry nodded but the thought of her with someone else was just too much for him to handle and he withdrew into himself once again. As he was sitting at the table tuning out Hermione's constant yammering, he realized this would be the perfect opportunity to take care of something Dobby had told him recently. He came out of his thoughts and noticed several people were trying to talk to him. Hermione actually had the nerve to say "Honestly Harry, you could at least be attentive to your date for the night."

Harry growled out "Will you please shut the hell up Granger? You're beginning to remind me of Percy who has a stick up his ass as well. As far as the date comment, you aren't my date as I wouldn't touch you if you were the last woman on the Earth."

As she sat there in shock, Harry leaned over and whispered "Tell Meg that she took my breath away and that I…I can't do this. I've got some things to do. Tell her not to worry."

He took a deep breath and threw Cedric a wink as he rose from the table. With a polite "Excuse me, I'm suddenly not feeling so well." He then walked right out the door of the Great Hall abandoning his assigned date and the ball.

Before anyone realized what just happened and went in pursuit, Harry slipped on his invisibility cloak and exited the front doors of the castle. As he made his way across the grounds, he called for Dobby.

"Yes Harry?"

"I think now would be a good time to head to Gringotts. Do you think you could take me there?"

"Dobby can do Harry but we needs to get out of the wards."

"Will the headmaster know we've left?"

"Whiskers will know someone left. It maybe gives Harry enough time to get past the tellers."

Unknown to either one of them, someone was hiding in the shadows and saw Harry come out the door and slip on his cloak. He heard an elf pop in and then watched as two sets of footprints made their way across the grounds. Once they had moved off, Severus said "Good luck Harry."

As soon as they passed the wards, Dobby grabbed his hand and popped them to the lobby of Gringotts. As Harry approached a teller, he said "Greetings Sir, would it be possible for me to inquire about my family's holdings and see if my parents left a will?"

"I am surprised to see you here tonight of all nights Mr. Potter. I'm sure your requests can be met but I will need to summon your account manager as I'm sure he has already retired for the day. One moment please."

"Sir? I have limited time before someone comes looking for me. Would it possible for me to wait somewhere more private?"

The Goblin looked at him warily and asked "May I ask why someone would be looking for you?"

Harry nervously replied "There are those who would prefer that I don't know anything about my family. I have no doubt that they would stun me and lock me up somewhere in the castle."

The Goblin frowned "Surely you are exaggerating Mr. Potter."

"I may be but the fact remains that I have been kept ignorant my whole life of anything to do with my family. Growing up, I was told my parents were drunks who got themselves killed and me injured in a car crash and I didn't even know their names until Hagrid took me to get my school supplies."

The Goblin looked at him for another minute before saying "I can honor your request Mr. Potter. Our customers' privacy is very important to us so if you'll follow me, I'll lead you to a conference room where you can meet with Master Bearclaw."

"Thank you for your help."

"You are most welcome Mr. Potter."

**LC**

Back in the Great Hall, Hermione sat there in shock as she had been dumped in the middle of the ball. It wasn't long before tears slowly rolled down her cheeks at the significance of just how far she had fallen in Harry's eyes. Never before would he have abandoned her and made her look like a fool or even spoke to her that way. To make matters worse, on orders from the headmaster, she had declined an invitation with Victor Krum to the ball. It was at this moment that she started to realize how much the headmaster had interfered with Harry's life and how it was bleeding over into hers as well.

Hermione was brought out of her thoughts as Professor McGonagall came over and asked "May I ask where Mr. Potter has gone?"

Hermione wiped her eyes which ruined her makeup and said "Harry wasn't feeling well and I assume he went to lie down. On that same note, I too have lost my appetitive and am feeling a little under the weather so if you'll excuse me, I think I will do likewise. Good evening everyone."

Hermione stood and slowly strolled out of the Great Hall and made her way up to her dorm room. She was deep in thought as her feet led her along a familiar path that ended in her dorm room. As she removed her gown and changed into her sleepwear, she cast a quick glance in the mirror which showed her make up smeared face. She made her way into the bathroom where she washed her face. She took a long hard look in the mirror and thought that no amount of makeup could ever cover up the shame that she saw on her face at what she had done to Harry. With tears once again running down her cheeks, she crawled into bed and started sobbing only to be joined by Crookshanks who jumped up and curled up next to his mistress to help sooth her.

Across the table, Viktor Krum was scowling as he watched the scene in front of him. He asked Hermione to the ball because he could see that she was alone and without support. She would have been an easy target to charm and then possible take back to the ship so that he could take advantage of her vulnerability. He was aggravated when she declined and then showed up with the younger champion. His mood started to lift as Harry walked out therefore giving Viktor another opportunity but it was soon dashed with the departure of his intended target.

Cedric had watched as Hermione walked away. He could see that Hermione was at a critical point in her life and hoped that she would choose a better path than the one she had been following. He caught Megan's eye and just shook his head letting her know that they would speak later. With all the drama done for the moment, he turned back to his date and gave her small smile as he rejoined the other champions in conversation during dinner. As he was watching the scene around him, he noticed McGonagall walk over to the headmaster and whisper in his ear. Once she was finished, he watched as he said something in return and then the Head of Gryffindor House walked out of the hall. Cedric smirked as he knew the fireworks were only about to begin.

**LC**

Minerva made her way to Gryffindor tower where she immediately went and checked to see if Harry was in his bed. When she saw he wasn't there, she didn't immediately panic as he was rarely there anymore. She knew this fro the times she had tried to catch him and take him to the headmaster. Not really concerned about it at the moment, she made her way to the girls dorm were she found Hermione lying in her bed crying.

She sat down on the edge and asked "What's the matter child?"

Hermione looked up at her and said between sobs "Don't you see? Don't you see how much we've hurt him? Harry would never have left me like that before no matter how bad he felt. He was a true friend and if I hadn't been so stupid, I think we would have been more than that this year. After saving Sirius last year, something changed between us and I know he felt it too. And what did I do, I threw all that away just to please other people. I walked away from possibly the only boy who could love me just like I am. Where does that leave me? When can I be happy?"

"Calm down child, I'm sure everything will work out soon. You know Mr. Potter; he gets angry and then gets over it. I'll admit that this has lasted longer than normal but he usually comes back in the end."

She sniffed. "I don't think that's going to happen this time. We broke his trust and friendship and after the life he's had with his relatives, we won't get it back anytime soon if at all. _You_ heard him in the tent."

"What do you mean about his life with his relatives?"

"As experienced as you are and you can't see it? My parents are trained to spot abuse and taught me to recognize it. They've barely been around him and they spotted it right away. His relatives beat him, starve him, and treat him like the dirt beneath their feet. Our Boy-Who-Lived has been abused all his life and no one in the magical world seems to care one bit."

"I knew they weren't the best sort but Albus said they were taking good care of Harry."

"You never checked on the son of two of your self proclaimed favorite students?"

"No, Albus said he was taking care of it and that Harry was fine. I…I didn't know it was like that."

Hermione looked at her in astonishment. "How could you, Madam Pomfrey, and the rest of the staff miss all the signs? You saw him when he first came to school. You saw him every time he returned for the summer. Did you ever notice him flinch whenever someone touched him? The first time I hugged him, it scared him to death. I think it was the first hug he ever had. It was obvious to me. My parents only saw him at the platform and recognized it so why couldn't someone who was supposed to look after him here at school ever see it?"

Minerva hung her head down in shame. Hermione finally said "I did what you said and stayed loyal to the house even against the demands of my own heart and look what it has cost me. It won't happen again! I will never accept the advice or suggestions of anyone if it goes against my own conscience. However, I do intend to spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to Harry and become his friend again. Whether he accepts me or not, I will never betray him again even if it costs me my own life. And I promise you that if he leaves this school, my parents will have me out of here faster than you can blink."

"But, what about the rest of your friends?"

"What friends? Ron? If you call being degraded every day a healthy friendship then I need to rethink my definition. I hung around with Ron because no one else wanted me around them. I've lost the only friend that mattered Professor, thanks to you and that weasel. If I could do it, I would change houses even though I'm sure I wouldn't qualify for Hufflepuff at this point."

Minerva gasped in shock but before she could say anything, Hermione said "Professor, I would prefer to be alone. Since you helped get me into this mess, I would appreciate it if you stayed out of my personal life from now on. If I need someone to talk to, I'll seek out Professor Snape. I think he would be an improvement over how I've been guided so far."

Minerva looked as if she had been slapped and got up and silently left the room. After her confrontation with Hermione, not finding Harry was the furthest thing from her mind as she thought about how badly she had failed some of the members of her house. She completely forgot about the Yule Ball and went to her office where she pulled out a bottle of single malt whiskey to calm her nerves. She was so lost in her own thoughts that before she knew it, she heard the sounds of the students returning from the ball and back to the dorm. She sat in her dark office thinking about a young man who meant so much to her despite how she had been forced to act towards him. She was almost to the point where she had decided that no job was worth what she was being told to do when a knock was heard at the door. She knew Albus' knock and cast a spell to hide her presence from him as he was the last person she wanted to talk to as he always managed to convince her to go against her heart and her convictions.

**LC**

As they were dancing, Cedric leaned over as Cho whispered in his ear. "Is Harry going to be okay? I always thought he was sweet but he changed a lot this year when everyone turned on him. (Cedric looked at her in shock.) I know you two are friends. It's not too hard to figure out when you're the only person he even speaks to anymore."

Cedric sighed and whispered back "I hope he will. He's had it rough and I want to help him."

She smiled up at him "Then that's what you should do. I'll try not to be a jealous girlfriend as long as you make some time for me but I'm really worried about him and he needs someone to look after him. Just tell him…tell him I'm sorry. I know better than to listen to rumors and gossip. My parents taught me better than that and I feel I owe him an apology."

He smiled "I will. I'm sure he will appreciate it even if he doesn't act on it right now. Um…would you mind if I danced with Meg for a couple of songs. I promised her I would."

She smiled back. "Go dance with your adopted sister. I'll just go and talk to some friends while you do. Find me when you're done?"

"I wouldn't dream of doing anything else. Thank you for understanding. It'll mean a lot to Meg."

She kissed his cheek and walked off towards some of her friends as he sought out Megan. When he approached Megan and Ernie, he held out his hand to her and said "Ernie, would you mind if I stole Meg for a few minutes?"

"Not at all. I think I will just go get us a couple of butterbeers. She's being pouty for some reason so hopefully you can dance her blues away."

He led her to the dance floor and he pulled her into his arms as they started to dance. Before he could say anything, she asked "What was all that and where did Harry go?"

He laughed "Impatient are we? Let's do things in order. I don't want to make your head swell but Harry said that you took his breath away tonight."

She looked at him with wide eyes with a small tear shining in the corner. He smiled down at her. "He was right; you look more beautiful than ever."

She slapped his arm playfully and said "You're just saying that because you're obligated too."

He smirked "True but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off you and even said he couldn't stand to watch you in someone else's arms."

Her eyes grew wide. "He didn't! Why would he act like that? We haven't even kissed."

"Well not in so many words but I got his meaning. In his heart, I think you are his girlfriend."

"He's never asked. We are getting closer but we've not talked about anything like that. Is that why he left?"

"Partially. I don't think he wanted to watch you on Ernie's arm all night and not be able to dance or talk to you. The last thing he told me was that he had some things to do and for you not to worry."

"What would he have to do tonight? And why would I worry? Oh crap, he went to Gringotts didn't he?"

"I don't know for sure but that'd be my guess. As busy as the castle is tonight, it wouldn't be too hard to slip away unnoticed."

**LC**

In Bearclaw's office at Gringotts, things were not going as well as planned. Harry yelled "What do you mean I should have responded to you four years ago?"

Bearclaw calmly said "You were sent a letter on your eleventh birthday detailing everything about your accounts. We received a letter from your magical guardian stating that you declined to take responsibility for your family at that time and would reconsider the issue when you were seventeen."

"I've never received anything from Gringotts before and just who the hell is my magical guardian? I don't even know what that is."

Bearclaw opened a file and glanced inside. "It says here that Albus Dumbledore is your magical guardian due to the incarceration of your godfather."

Harry was about to explode. "So you're saying I cannot inquire about my parents' wills or my family inheritance because he said so? Is he a Potter? That stuff is rightfully mine and I demand to be given access to it or at the least be given an accounting."

"I'm sorry Mr. Potter but unless we have permission from your magical guardian, we cannot."

Harry got right in the goblin's face and said "This is bullshit! I was respectful and polite to you throughout our whole meeting until you told me that you would keep what's rightfully mine from me. I will promise you this, if you continue to violate my rights in this matter, when I turn seventeen, I will remove every Knut from your institution and take my business somewhere else. I was never informed of my rights and by my definition that places the blame upon you AND Albus Dumbledore. Once I do this, I will inform the entire magical world of your less than honorable dealings with the heir to the Potters."

"I do apologize Mr. Potter, but my hands are tied in this matter. I cannot grant you that which I cannot give. I suggest you take it up with your guardian."

Harry sat back in thought then sarcastically said "Very well then, I trust that I still have access to my trust vault?"

"Yes Mr. Potter."

"Fine then, I want every galleon, sickle, and Knut removed from it at once and placed in a bag so that I can track down the gnomes and open an account there."

"How do you know about them?"

"Let's just say that this term has forced me to learn a lot about the magical world. On that same note, I assume that my vault will be refilled on January first as is the standard set up for trust vaults?"

"Yes Mr. Potter, it is. May I inquire as to your intentions?"

"No you may not. The contents in that vault belong to me and as such I have every right to do with it as I please."

"Yes you do Mr. Potter. I do want to convey that my hands are truly tied in this matter. I wish things were different but I must follow the instructions given to me."

Harry snapped back "As you have said numerous times. Just remember my promise to you. Upon my seventeenth birthday, every account that I am entitled to will be removed from your institution's care as I no longer trust the lot of you to handle my family's affairs." Once he finished saying this, Harry didn't bother with the niceties and just walked out on Bearclaw after grabbing the bottomless bag from t he hand of the Goblin who retrieved it. That bag contained his entire trust vault.

Bearclaw sat at this desk considering everything he had just been told and a bead of sweat ran down his forehead. Once this got out, he and his family would probably be executed under Goblin law for causing such a tremendous loss to Gringotts. He still had no idea how Dumbledore convinced him to go along with his plan for a share of the Potter wealth but after what he had just heard, he knew his time was limited. He just didn't know just how short that time would be.

**LC**

As Harry was entering the lobby of the bank, he dug his hand in the bag and pulled out a handful of galleons. He approached the teller from before and asked if he would exchange the galleons for pounds sterling. As the goblin was taking care of this, Harry called Dobby and handed him the bag. "Take this to the gnomes and have them open an account for me. Also request a meeting for me at their earliest convenience to discuss the future of the Potter holdings."

"Yes Harry."

The teller was listening to what Harry was saying and asked "Mr. Potter, am I correct in assuming that you no longer wish to do business with Gringotts? The Potters were one of the original families that helped us start our institution and the loss of your confidence will have a detrimental effect on our business."

"Yes, you heard correctly. Excluding you, the service I have received from Gringotts today has been less than satisfactory. As soon as I come of age, I will be transferring everything to the gnomes."

"Mr. Potter, would you wait here long enough for me to bring in my supervisor? I don't want you to leave without Gringotts having to chance to rectify the situation."

"Mr.?"

"Griphook, Mr. Potter."

Harry nodded "Mr. Griphook, I appreciate your efforts but I have had enough of your higher ups and their inability to help me. Good evening."

Griphook watched as Harry left through the front doors. As soon as the doors closed, Griphook closed off his station and scampered down the passageways of Gringotts until he came upon two great doors. He pounded on the doors and waited until he heard "Enter".

He quickly made his way forward and knelt in front of the ornate throne where Ragnok sat. "What can I do for you nephew? Aren't you on desk duty tonight?"

"Yes Sire. I heard some troubling news and wanted to bring it quickly to your attention."

Ragnok growled out "Trying to advance your station?"

"No Sire, just doing my duty as a Goblin."

"Then speak and be quick about it. You are ignoring your duties by being here."

Griphook bowed again "Yes Sire, I just spoke with the Heir to the Potters. He claimed that he was extremely unhappy with his visit today and was looking to sever his relationship with Gringotts when he came of age."

Ragnok was on his feet in an instant. "WHAT? Who is responsible for this?"

"Milord, I escorted him to a meeting with Bearclaw when Mr. Potter came in asking about his family's accounts."

"Was anything else said?"

"Yes Sire, not only was he going to move the Potter holdings but any other holdings that he was entitled too."

Ragnok grew furious. "Summon Bearclaw immediately. This cannot be allowed to happen."

Griphook bowed once again. "Milord, I think it may be too late. He emptied his trust vault earlier and had his elf take the contents to the gnomes. I asked him if he would wait long enough for me to get someone of authority but he would have none of it and said he had quite enough of the ineptitude of our people in authority for one day."

Ragnok stood and swung his sword splitting a granite conference table in half in his rage. Griphook stood very still to keep from being next. He turned to Griphook and shouted "I TOLD YOU TO SUMMON BEARCLAW! NOW MOVE BEFORE I TREAT YOU AS I DID MY TABLE."

Griphook bowed and ran out the door.

**LC**

Harry made his way out of Diagon Alley without being seen with the help of his father's cloak. As soon as he was on Charing Cross Road, he flagged down a taxi and asked to be taken to a decent hotel. The ride didn't take long and he was let out in front of the Charing Cross Hotel. He looked up at the place and became worried that he didn't have enough money on him to get a room for a few days but it didn't hurt to ask.

As he stepped up to the desk, he realized he was still in robes but was amazed that nobody seemed to pay attention to that fact. Once greeted by the desk clerk, he said "Hello, my name is Harry Potter and I was wondering if you might have a room available for the night and just how much it might be?"

The clerk gave him a second look and typed something into his computer. His eyebrows rose and he asked "Are you Harold James Potter, son of the late James and Lily Potter?"

"Yes sir, I'm Harry Potter and that was who my parents were."

"Yes, we were sad to hear that they were no longer with us. Mrs. Potter was one of the primary investors in our hotel and as such, there has always been a suite reserved for her even though she never used it. That suite has been held for you as her primary heir."

Harry was thinking about his meeting with Gringotts and how Albus had interfered with his life and was immediately wary of the situation. "So no one knows about this place?"

The clerk said "According to my records, the suite has never been used but has always been maintained in case you needed it. I'm not trying to pry but are you in some kind of trouble?"

"I…what makes you think that?"

"Well sir, you are here on Christmas Eve in formal robes, with no luggage, and you look as if you've had a rather trying day."

"Well, the day has not been pleasant and I was just looking for a place to lie low for a few days and think things over."

The man glanced at Harry and noticed that besides the nice robe he had on, the rest of the clothes didn't suit his station. "Well Mr. Potter, I will gladly have you escorted to your suite and maybe you could take advantage of our valet services and take care of any clothing issues you may have."

Harry thought about how he must look and realized that even though he wore his best under his robes, they still weren't that nice of clothes. The comment Draco had made came to mind. "I may do that but not until after Christmas. I would hate to rob anyone of their time with their families just to take care of me."

The man waved over another man in a hotel uniform and asked "Benjamin, could you show Mr. Potter to the Potter suite? He will be joining us for a few days."

Once Harry was in the suite, he looked around and thought it was really nice and would suit him just fine for a few days. After he removed his robe and sat down, he called for Dobby.

'Pop' "You called Harry?"

"Yeah, um…how did it go with the gnomes?"

"Theys be saying that Harry already has an account with them and they deposited the money into your vault." Dobby held out a large clasp envelope and added "Theys sent these so you get to your money and said theys come whenever Harry wanted."

Harry opened the envelope and allowed everything inside to drop onto the coffee table. They were two letters, one addressed to him that said read first. He also found a credit card, several forms of id, a wallet, and a strange looking key on a chain.

Dobby said "Theys said that the wallet will hold all the other stuff and give you money when yous asks for it. Theys be saying to put the chain around your neck which holds your vault key and that the letters were left for you by your mother."

Harry did everything Dobby said and then nervously reached for the letter. Once he opened it he saw:

_My Dearest Harry,_

_If you are reading this then I didn't survive the war. I'm so sorry that I wasn't there as you grew up but know that I am always with you. You, my precious baby boy, were the light of your father's and my eyes. When you entered our lives, you brought so much joy and happiness. If we died protecting you and you are still alive, then it was worth it as you are the most important thing in our lives and we love you dearly. _

_Now that all that has been said, we need to get to the harsh realities that surround us. Don't trust anyone without a sworn oath to never betray you. Albus has shown too keen an interest in you and I don't like what that means. While your father trusted him, I DO NOT! _

_After much arguing, I finally agreed to let Albus cast a Fidelis charm over the cottage to hide you better but know that Peter Pettigrew was our secret keeper instead of Sirius Black. Your father thought it would be the greatest prank to have everyone chasing after your godfather. I honestly don't think he will ever grow up even with the responsibility of having you in our lives._

_The second envelope carries a certified copy of our wills. Even though your father says they are the best, I don't trust the Goblins and won't keep all my eggs in one basket. There is already an account under mine and your names with the Gnomes of Switzerland and as such, they have a copy of our wills. If we are gone and Albus got his hooks in you, use the wills to break free. We also left instructions to emancipate you so do what you feel is best for yourself but know that as soon as you do, Albus will know about it._

_The account with the Gnomes holds the proceeds from some investments I've made. It was growing rapidly before we went into hiding and should be enough to take care of you until you gain control over the Potter accounts. If you don't already know this, the Potters were a very old and wealthy family. As such, when you are of age to marry, be very careful who you tie yourself to. Most know of the wealth of the Potters and would do anything to lay their hands on it. The Potters also have a lot of political influence and it will be up to Sirius to teach you what you need to know. If he doesn't, you have my permission to neuter the mangy cur._

_Another thing you need to know is that your heritage as Potter goes much deeper than most people realize. Even with the convoluted mess that purebloods have made of their ancestry, you are the last living descendent of Godric Gryffindor and the Peverells. If you claim this inheritance, you will be allowed access to magic that has not been seen in centuries. The knowledge they held may be just what you need to give you an edge. _

_I'm sure that you've heard stories about me and your father but don't believe everything you hear. I loved your father dearly but he could be a right prat most of the time and more often than not, he was an ass to people which didn't endear him to a lot of people. If you were lucky enough to get past that exterior, you couldn't find a more caring and loving man at least I know I couldn't._

_Now, as you know, I'm a redhead and as such, I have a temper. Most days I'm a bitch but that just comes from being surrounded by Marauders most of the time. I guess what I'm trying to say is….don't be a doormat and let people walk over you. Be your own man. Be a Potter. Life is what YOU make it, not what other try and make for you._

_I Love You,_

_Mum_

Harry sat there for a few minutes before reaching for the other envelope. Once he opened it and started reading, he grew furious at blatant disregard of his parents' wishes. He read the list of names that were to take care of him and grew sad that almost all of them had either been incapacitated or were under Dumbledore's thumb. He sat back thinking about it and started coming up with a way to make them pay for what they had done to him. The only problem he saw was that he would have to wait until he turned fifteen which was the date specified in the will for him to be rid of his controllers. He also realized that he wouldn't have to wait the more than two years to get control over his family's holdings and was thankful that his mother had the foresight to give him other options for the time being. Until then, he would have to continue to do as he had been and just marginalize their influence.

**LC**

Harry spent the remainder of the holidays at the hotel and enjoyed his freedom immensely. He never left the hotel but did opt for some new clothes. He didn't get a lot so that he wouldn't draw more attention to himself but at least he now had some nice things. When it was time for him to go back, he asked Dobby to pop him to the castle where he quickly made his way to the castle and back into the betrayers stronghold.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: No I don't own any of it.

AN: I am so overwhelmed by your responses and thank you so much for the support. I also need to clear something up as I have not made myself clear. The brother/sister relationship between Cedric and Megan is more of a bond facilitated by the promise Cedric made to Mikey. They live with their own parents but are especially close and due to this, they probably have a room at each others' house and are probably closer than most brothers and sisters. Megan's parents are not dead or missing and will play a more active role in later chapters.

Chapter 3

Harry's sudden exit from the ball and the fact that he had completely disappeared ever since did not go unnoticed. His absence spurred several groups to comb the castle in search for him with obviously no luck. The motivation and intent were different for each group but they were similar in the fact that they all wanted Harry Potter for their own reasons.

Dumbledore was upset over Harry walking out of the ball and saw it as a direct act of trying to make him look bad in front of the other Headmasters as well as the ministry representatives who were on hand to take part in the celebrations. In his anger he ordered the staff to find Harry Potter and bring him to his office. He thought that Harry's little rebellion had gone on for long enough and it was time to return to his place under Albus' thumb.

The attempt by the staff was half hearted at best especially when Minerva pointedly refused to help and walked out of his office. Since Minerva was the one who truly ran the school, the rest of the staff followed her lead in all things and this was no exception. Of course, on her way out, she left a parting shot of "Since you're so confident in her abilities, I'm sure Sybill could find him using her _gifts_."

Minerva was well aware that there was a prophecy surrounding Mr. Potter but not the exact wording of the first two lines and was not aware of the last two lines. She knew Albus' decisions concerning Harry's life was based on this and Albus had painstakingly manipulated every aspect of Harry's life from where he lived to who his friends were. Albus even used his status as Harry's magical guardian to block any attempts to teach Harry about his family and their place in the world. The fact that the Weasleys were on board was a given. Molly had a blind trust of Albus and practically bullied Arthur into going along.

Minerva watched during first year as Miss Granger became a friend of Harry's despite Ron Weasley's multiple attempts to keep Harry away from each other. Even Minerva could see the obvious affection grow between the two in the last few years. On the other hand, Albus also saw how her influence could derail his plans so he set out to get control over her as well. Between her insecurities and her thirst for knowledge, Albus knew just which buttons to push through special instruction or rare books and eventually swayed Hermione to accept his view of how Harry's life should be. After that meeting, Hermione had a strong compulsion to help her friend and do what was best for Harry at least as Albus Dumbledore saw it. It was evident to Albus that his words worked as the compulsion charm he sent her way was still been active until recently. Albus learned at an early age how to manipulate people with his words but the added compulsion charm every now and again always managed to cement his views.

When the staff was fruitless in their search, Albus tried to enlist some of the 'old' crowd to help. His two best candidates absolutely refused citing that their already fraying relationship with Harry was the reason. The two Marauders were easily capable of recreating a device which would help in the search for Harry and would make life easier for Albus. To be told no by these two aggravated Albus to no end which only frustrated him more since the devices he used on Harry only worked when Harry was not hiding.

While this was one of the main reasons they declined, the meeting held in Albus' office before Christmas raised several alarms for them. It was then they realized they had been effectively neutralized when it came to Harry or his rights. Between Remus' status as a dark creature and Sirius' status as an escaped prisoner, Albus would never allow them to gain custody of Harry.

They say time heals everything but Sirius was not so sure. He was mostly recovered from his stay in Azkaban but he never regained his complete mental focus. In his good moments, he realized that Albus was playing politics with him by paying him lip service on the topic of getting him a trial. But the reality was that even if he was exonerated, it was doubtful that he would gain custody of Harry as he knew Albus would make sure he was judged as mentally compromised. They were Marauders and should have been above being manipulated as effectively as they were. Sirius knew without a shadow of a doubt that Harry's situation was his fault. If he had done his duty to Harry instead of running after Peter, maybe this whole mess could have been avoided. Yes, Albus being the opportunist that he was used this to his advantage to permanently get Sirius out of the picture. His and Remus' failures with Harry had him dreading the day they met up with James and Lily again and he didn't want to add to it by having Harry wanting their hides as well. The one thought that went through Sirius' mind was that he should have just stayed in Azkaban and succumbed to the inevitable for all the good he was doing Harry.

**LC**

Cedric and Megan also searched for him but as you well know, came up empty. They checked their hiding place daily to see if he was there but were disappointed every time. Cedric tried to remain calm and upbeat for Megan's benefit but he was beginning to get concerned for the young man who was quickly filling the role of a little brother for him. A few days after Christmas, they took a stroll to their meeting place to see if there were any signs of Harry and ended up sitting down and having a long talk. During their talk, Megan broke down and admitted her feelings for Harry and how his disappearance had her scared with everything that she now knew of his life. After some hugs and comforting words, she began to settle down and had an idea. She said "Dobby, can you come here please?"

Dobby popped in and said "Harry Potter's Megs calls me?"

Cedric laughed but then said "Brilliant Megs. Um…Dobby, do you know where Harry is and is he okay?"

"Yes Mr. Cedric. Dobby knows where Harry is and Harry is safe."

"Can you tell me where he is?"

Dobby shook his head. "Dobby sorry but Harry not be giving Dobby permission to tell this secret."

Megan asked "Could you take a message to him for me…I mean us?"

Dobby grinned. "Yes Mistress Megs. Dobby be glad to. Dobby thinks Harry be missing his Megs too."

She blushed but said "Tell him I…we miss him and to be safe and come back soon."

Cedric smiled at her slips. He was protective of her but couldn't think of a better guy he would trust his sister with than Harry. "Before you leave Dobby, do you know if he went to Gringotts and how it went?"

Some of the happiness dropped from Dobby's face. "Harry not being happy when he left Gringotts. They be trying to keep Harry's family from him."

Megan asked "What do you mean?"

Dobby looked down at the floor. She said "I'm sorry for asking you something like that. You're a good elf who keeps Harry's secrets. I'm sure Harry will tell us when he gets back but I'm just worried about him."

Dobby gave her a sweet little grin. "Dobby knows yous will probably be his mistress one day but cannot say anything until then."

She blushed as Cedric laughed. Once Dobby disappeared, they walked back to the Hufflepuff common room. As they were about to enter, Cedric grinned and said "After you Mistress Megs." She smacked his arm and stomped off but he could tell she was much happier knowing that Harry was fine.

**LC**

Hermione was beside herself with worry ever since Harry disappeared from the ball. She exhausted herself looking in all of the normal places but Harry was not to be found. After admitting defeat, she went back to her dorm and thought about the situation she was in and how to get out of it. She finally had an idea and took out a piece of parchment and began a letter. Once she was finished, she ran to the owlery to post it. She saw Hedwig and asked "Hey girl, would you like to take a letter for me?"

Hedwig looked at her for a moment before turning her back on her. Hermione thought 'Great, even his owl hates me now.' She managed to call down one of the school's owls and sent her letter off.

**LC**

Hermione wasn't the only Gryffindor looking for Harry. There was a group led by the three female chasers of the Quidditch team who were desperate to talk to Harry. While they didn't publicly ridicule Harry, they were guilty of not standing up for him and they knew in his eyes; they were just as guilty as those who had been so horrible to him. It was obvious how Harry felt when the Weasley twins shared their confrontation with the other team members. If that didn't open their eyes, the confrontation in McGonagall's classroom certainly did. The three girls had always thought of Harry as their little brother much like the twins did and for him to no longer want to associate with them was a hard pill to swallow. The team was very close and with the loss of Oliver, who graduated, and now Harry, who no longer trusted them, their 'family' was becoming fractured and dysfunctional.

**LC**

Harry returned to the castle on the night before classes resumed. His mind was on other things and he made the mistake of arriving at Gryffindor tower much earlier that normal. As soon as he stepped through the portrait hole, he realized his mistake as all eyes locked in on him so he tried to hurry through and make his way up to his dorm room. Harry hadn't made it half way up the stairs before everyone's shock at seeing Harry cleared and they went into action. Angelina asked "Harry, may we speak to you?"

When he looked up, he saw the entire Quidditch team along with Neville, Ron, and Hermione along with a few others. He shot them a look of disdain before starting up the stairs. Katie blurted out "Harry, we're sorry for everything. We don't want you to leave or quit the Quidditch team. You're family to us."

Harry stopped dead in his tracks and turned around while shooting them a glare. He snorted "Family? Is that what you just said? That I'm family?"

George quietly said "Yeah Harry."

Harry sneered "And I thought the Dursleys were bad. At least they never pretended to like me before attacking me."

Angelina softly said "Harry, we said we're sorry. Please come back to us."

Harry sneered "Why? Why would I want to do anything with you people? What would I have to gain by it?"

Alicia pleaded "We were wrong Harry. Please accept our apology. It is bad enough that Ollie is gone. We can't lose you too."

Harry closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them, they could see the restrained fury he was holding back. He snapped out "I guess you should have thought about that before you made me an outcast."

He made eye contact with each one of them as he said "Of everyone in this school, you WERE the people I was closest too. You knew me better than anyone yet you still accused me of doing things YOU should know I would never do."

They winced as he stressed the words and hung their heads in shame as he said this. They thought he was done but never expected what came next. "It all boils down to trust and at this point, I can't trust any of you."

Hermione asked "You said you can't instead of you don't. Why can't you trust us?"

Harry sighed and thought that only Hermione would spot the difference. "It may have escaped your attention but I've had a Dark Lord after me for fourteen years. It's hard enough to deal with the frontal attack but it's even harder to deal with the threat from behind. This year has shown me that if I place my trust in someone who says they are my friend, I just may end up with a wand pointed at my back. Voldemort is a big enough threat without me having to worry about whether my _friends_ are going to turn and run when things get bad."

They all gasped at his last statement as he turned and went up the stairs. He was glad there was no one in the dorm as he quickly changed and climbed into bed. Once the curtains were pulled, he charmed them silent and added one to keep anyone but him from opening them. He called for Dobby and said "It may be time to find me a new place to sleep. I think it would be easier on me if I didn't have to worry about running into them."

Dobby replied "Harry could always call the sword to him. It would let him in Godric's chambers."

"No, I don't think we can do that yet. They can't know that we know yet."

Down in the common room, the subdued group sat around on the couches talking about what had just happened. Almost all of them agreed that they had a lot to make up for with Harry and hopefully earn his trust one day. For now, all they could do was to try and support him as best they could. Angelina noticed Fred and George looking quite depressed which was usually against their nature. She asked "What's got you two so down?"

Fred answered "Well, Dad told us to fix things with Harry before the school term began. The problem is we haven't even seen Harry since the ball to try and now we are afraid that if we try, we may make things worse. With what happened in Ginny's first year, Dad is taking this as a mark against our family honor and is rather put out about the whole thing."

Hermione said "Your father is a very nice man. He wouldn't do anything too bad."

George grimaced. "Hermione, family honor is everything to Dad and he won't take this very well."

Hermione sadly nodded "I can understand that. My father is a decorated hero from the Falkland's conflict. The branch he served in places honor above everything. When he finds out about this, he won't be very happy with me."

**LC**

The next day at breakfast, Hermione received a letter in response to the one she had sent. Even though it was too late, she opened to read it.

_Dear Hermione,_

_It is with great regret that I say we are in no better position with Harry than you are. I can tell by your letter that you deeply regret what happened with Harry and we can commiserate with you in that matter._

_When Harry's name came out of the Goblet, Albus forbade us from writing to him or contacting him in any way. Over the course of the next few weeks, we received multiple letters from Harry begging for our help. In our stupidity, we ignored them as Albus had told us to do even though it hurt us to do so. I know you were in the tent after the first task and didn't see our meeting with Harry. It didn't go well and he basically told us he was better off without us in his life. _

_Since then, we have tried writing him but our letters have been returned unopened and he has cut off all contact with us. The last letter that was returned to Sirius was charmed with an explosive curse that triggered as soon as the owl dropped it. It was the last letter that we sent to him. _

_I thought I could get through to him and came to the castle. I managed to catch him between classes but it will be the last time I will try to make the first move. It was this point that I truly realized the damage I had done to our relationship when he pulled a silver dagger on me and told me all it would take is a scratch. While that may not be completely true, he did get his point across._

_I'm sorry I couldn't be any more help but we are in the same boat. I fear for what we may have done._

_Yours truly,_

_Remus Lupin_

Hermione sighed as she folded the letter and put it in her book bag. She pushed away her breakfast and rose from the table only to walk slowly towards her first class.

**LC**

The month leading up to the second task remained pretty quiet for Harry and he continued to meet with Cedric and Megan on a regular basis. He told them all about his trip to Gringotts and then what he had learned from his contact with the Gnomes. While they commiserated with him over his situation, they really didn't have any ideas to help him other than doing what he was already doing.

It was finally Cedric who posed "You know, Susan's aunt his head of the DMLE. You could send her a copy of your mother's letter."

Harry replied with disdain. "Susan Bones?" (Megan winced.) "Hell CED, she and Hannah have been have been leading the charge against me from your house. I wouldn't trust a Bones at this point to do the paperwork correctly to wipe my arse."

Megan said "Not that I'm defending them Harry but they both are hopelessly in love with their hero. No matter what Cedric says, they will always treat your being entered in the tournament as an unforgivable slight against him. It's pretty disgusting actually. I have to listen to them moon over Cedric constantly since I share a dorm with them and geez…I don't want to hear that, he's my brother."

Her comments lightened the mood considerably. Cedric said "Thanks a lot there Mistress Megs."

Harry looked up and saw Megan blushing. "Mistress Megs? That sounds like something Dobby would say." Cedric laughed louder as Megan turned an even deeper red.

When he got himself a little under control, Cedric said "He did! It was when we were looking for you and she thought to call him and ask about you."

Harry's eyes widened at that comment. He knew that with Dobby bonded to him, Dobby would only respond to a summons of someone who Harry trusted or loved. The fact that he answered Megan's summons told Harry that though he was confused over his feelings, Dobby knew exactly what was going on.

Trying desperately to change the subject, Megan said "I know you don't trust Susan but her aunt can be trusted. She could help and it could get your Godfather freed."

Harry thought for a minute before saying "I'll think about it in the future. (He noticed the concerned look on her face.) Look, there's not a lot I can do now anyway. If I start kicking over too many rocks then Dimples will figure out that I know about the stuff he has kept hidden. Right now, it's best if I just keep it all hidden and lie low until I can do something about it. Besides, I'm not really sure that I want to help Sirius at this point."

Megan gasped "But he's your Godfather, he could be free and finally be able to help you."

Harry snapped back at her. "Why should I help him any more than I already have? I saved his life and look how he repaid me. Let's do a rundown on Sirius Black, first he leaves me with Hagrid to go chase down Peter. I hold Voldemort, him and Dimples responsible for the childhood I had in that order. If Sirius had done his duty, I'd never have ended up in the Headmaster's clutches or at least I hope I wouldn't have. He abandons me for twelve years. Yes I know he was in Azkaban but that's beside the point, I was still left to the tender mercies of the Dursleys because of his actions."

Megan had tears in her eyes and said "Harry, don't!"

Harry reached out and grabbed her hand. He said "I'm not mad at you Megan but these are things that need to be said and by talking to you guys about it, it kind of helps me put things in perspective."

She squeezed his hand back. "I…I just don't want to end up like your other friends."

He chuckled "I don't think Mistress Megs has anything to worry about."

Cedric laughed again as Megan blushed. Harry said "Anyway, he comes to Hogwarts being reckless again and gets caught. I end up having to save him and help him escape only to receive a few notes from him over the summer that said mostly nothing but he always said he would be there if I needed him. Once my name came out of the Goblet, I turned to him and another family friend to help. I sent a letter out daily begging them to talk to me. I never got one reply. It was like they didn't care and then they had the nerve to show up after the first task. I was already furious with Dimples and then had to come face to face with them."

She squeezed his hand. "Them? I only saw you yell at Professor Lupin."

Harry looked at her and said "Sirius is a dog animagus."

She gasped "So the big black dog was your Godfather? Damn, we played with that dog last year out on the grounds. After seeing him with Lupin, I just thought he belonged to the Professor."

Harry's eyes darkened a little. "After I confronted them, they were all about trying to get me to talk to them. I got letters every day but it was too little too late. When I needed them, they weren't there and when I didn't need them anymore, they were all over me. To me, it has Dimples hands all over it. He probably told them not to talk to me and then when he lost control over me, he used every resource he had to try and bring me back under."

Cedric looked stunned. He finally said "I know this year hasn't been the best but don't you think that's a little paranoid? I mean, I know the Headmaster is up to something but that would suggest so much more."

Harry nodded and said "Yeah, I know. What happened at the bank and then my mother's letter really helped me see the way things might really be."

Megan pulled Harry into a hug. "We'll be here to help Harry. I promise you that."

**LC**

Whenever Cedric and Megan weren't with him, Harry could usually be found in Dobby's company. After Harry asked, Dobby started teaching him about elf magic and while it was different from wizard magic, it was still magic. The main difference was how the elves channeled their magic. Dobby knew that with Harry's power level, he could easily do this type of magic and so started teaching him that magic was all about intent and imagination. At first, Harry had a hard time grasping it as it was just too simple and made too much sense.

After Harry struggled for a while, Dobby just told him to tell his magic what to do. Again, this was too easy for Harry but after a while, he compared it to accidental magic and knew it was possible as whenever he had performed it, he got the results he desired even though they were unfocused and wild. As he followed this line of thinking, he knew if he told his magic exactly what he wanted instead of a general idea, he could achieve the results he desired.

Getting the desired results were still not easy for Harry and so Dobby sat down with him and taught him how to meditate. Dobby said "Dobby always being able to touch magic. Dobby thinks elves are born with it. Harry touches magic too just in a different way. Dobby wants Harry to sit down and close his eyes. Dobby wants Harry to stop thinking about anything but Harry's magic."

Dobby watched as Harry did this. "Now Harry needs to find his magic. Follow it back to where it comes from."

Harry said "It feels like it is all around me and not somewhere specific."

"Dobby understands. Does Harry trust his Dobby?"

"You know I do."

Dobby grabbed his hands and joined him is his head. In Harry's mind, an image of him standing there holding Dobby's hand appeared. Dobby said "Wes going to follow the bond to my magic first so Harry can see what it looks like."

They started walking along a light green pathway that led to a glowing green orb that pulsed with energy. Dobby said "This is Dobby. Without this, Dobby be no more. Without Harry, this won't be. When Harry dies, so does Dobby but Harry can live on without Dobby. This is the bond we share."

Harry asked "So if I die, you will too? That's not fair."

Dobby smiled "Dobby wanted it this way. Most elves bonded to family so as long as family lives on, so do the elves. Dobby only bonded to Harry not Potters. Dobby will follow his master in death but not until Dobby has finished taking care of Master. It was the cost in order to fix all the problems Harry had."

"I don't understand."

"Dobby will live long enough to make sure all of Master's orders are fulfilled. Once this is done, Dobby will join Master once again to take care of Harry in the next life."

"Not that part, the part about fixing me."

"For Dobby to fix Harry, Dobby had to tie his core directly to Harry's. It was too much for Dobby's magic and Dobby joined Harry's magic to do what needed to be done."

Harry looked at him wide eyed. "You killed yourself to help me?"

Dobby nodded. "The dark magic behind Harry's scar required a sacrifice to make it go away. Dobby gladly sacrificed his magic to help Harry."

Harry was stunned and did the only thing he could think of. He knelt down and hugged Dobby. "I don't know what to say but thank you. I guess this means we will have to work hard to make sure I don't die anytime soon. I can't let my best friend down now can I?"

There were tears running down Dobby's cheeks. "Harry thinks Dobby is his friend?"

Harry shook his head. "No Dobby, I think you are more like a brother than a friend. I would be lost without you."

Dobby returned the hug and then jumped up. He grabbed Harry's hand and led him quickly along a pathway. It wasn't long before they were standing in front of a large white pulsing orb. Dobby said "This is Harry's magic. Dobby thinks yous needs to step inside it and then you will understand."

Harry did as he was told and felt the connection to his magic better than he ever had. When he stepped back out, all Harry could say was "Wow!"

Dobby said "Now grab a piece of it and bring it with you. It will form a line that you can follow for now. We be going back to where we started"

In the blink of an eye, they were back at the beginning and Dobby let go of Harry's hand and left him standing there. As Harry opened his eyes, Dobby was looking at him with a smile on his face. "Can you still feel it?"

"Yeah"

"Harry needs to do this every day until he doesn't need the line. When Harry can do that, we will be starting new things."

As the weeks progressed, Harry's ability to follow the line became easier until he no longer needed it to touch his core. Harry's next lessons were taught without a wand and were so much easier than when they first started out. Harry got to the point where he could call up whatever he wanted. Dobby declared him taught and told him to just keep in practice. With this new ability, Harry found that the occlumency Cedric and Megan had been so painstakingly teaching him came easily and since he understood the theory and the results of the practice, he easily formed a strong shield that would keep anyone out until he could get away.

**LC**

Megan and Harry continued to grow closer and while they were honest with each other about their developing feelings, they also knew that their situation had not changed. She knew Harry was honorable but it became even more apparent when he told her that while he would like nothing more to ask her to be his girlfriend, he felt that it would be unfair to her to go around hiding their relationship. She was disappointed but also elated that he felt that strongly about her. In the end, he made her a promise that when the tournament was over, he would ask her officially. She understood even more when Harry and Cedric informed her that they had already figured out the second task and there was no way either one of them would put her at risk.

**LC**

The weeks leading up to the second task were primarily drama free for Harry as most of the school was finally leaving him alone. He would get the occasional glare from some of the students but they never said anything hateful to him. Of course, it was difficult to find him since he still stuck to the shadows to remain hidden and still preferred to take his meals down in the kitchen.

Minerva has lost all contact with Harry as he never again deemed it necessary to grace her classroom with his presence. She heard, through her sources, about the confrontation in the common room and was at a loss about what to do. Normally, she would talk to the student and enforce discipline but in this case, she knew that to do that would just drive him further away. She was also worried ever since the elves reported that he no longer slept in his bed. The only comfort she had regarding Harry was the elves also reported that he ate daily in the kitchens which proved he was still in the castle. Her biggest concern and confusion was that the elves couldn't find him any other time.

The drama eased off as the Gryffindors began treating him better after realizing that their house was a power in the school largely because Harry had been sorted there. The moment they turned their backs on him and he in return did the same, they noticed their star had begun to fall and they were no longer considered the strongest house. This was something they didn't want to continue so they remained reserved around him and because they felt one wrong move would push him even further away. They were hoping things would eventually work out on the basis that they thought he still slept in his bed in the tower and therefore had not given up on them completely.

The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs treated him indifferently and with the exception of a few, never gave him a second glance whenever they actually saw him in the halls. The real surprise for Harry was the Slytherins. They had completely backed off and were giving him a wide berth and even Malfoy had the good sense to leave him alone. Harry would never know but Professor Snape had called a house meeting over the holidays and explained the facts of life to them.

_FLASHBACK_

The entire Slytherin House was sitting in their common room waiting to start a meeting called by their head of house, Severus Snape. They all knew Severus despised meetings so when he called one, he was going to share some vital information with them that could very well be crucial to their survival.

He said "Thank you all for being here and on time. What I'm about to say, you won't like hearing but you need to hear it anyway. From now on, Harry Potter is off limits."

Malfoy said "But Professor, scarhead…"

Snape snarled "SHUT UP DRACO! I know Slytherin house has set him up as the enemy but you all need to back off."

Daphne Greengrass asked "Did Dumbledore order you to tell us this?"

"No, this is coming from me."

Another asked "Why?"

"Because things have changed. Something you should know is that if Mr. Malfoy had not antagonized Mr. Potter on the train, he could have very well ended up in this house."

Draco said "But…"

He was cut off by Severus who continued. "His actions this past term have shown me that Harry Potter is more than a brash and reckless Gryffindor, but he plays his role and uses those traits to accomplish his goals. He rarely fails at what he sets his mind too and that in turn tells me that he has kept his Slytherin talents hidden from us all."

Malfoy sarcastically said "You sound as if you almost respect him."

Snape replied "In a way I do. He is finally showing the traits possessed by his mother and even though she was a Lion, she would have been a formidable Snake. Only her blood status kept her from our house."

They all looked at him with wide eyes so he continued. "Mr. Potter has started slowly removing the chains placed on him by the headmaster. On equal note is his distancing of himself from the traitorous Weasleys as well as Miss Granger. He is finally becoming his own man and is living up to the Potter name that has been a long respected family. I dare say that he is becoming a lord in his own right."

Pansy said "I thought that Granger and Potter were fated to be together. It sure seemed like it."

Snape smiled "Yes, as much as it looked like he would follow in his father's footsteps, that is not the case now and through some bad decisions on the part of Miss Granger, I no longer see that option available to her."

Several people nodded. "The Potter blood is strong in him and as such, he is coming into his powers but don't let his being a half-blood allow you to underestimate him. Lily could wipe the floor with even the best the purebloods had to offer. I don't need to remind you of his display against the dragon. I dare say any of us could have done what he did or stood up against that kind of power. I also believe that his time in seclusion has been good for him and allowed him to become even more powerful."

Daphne asked "In recent history, the Potters have been considered a light family. How will his becoming a lord help those of us from neutral or dark families?"

He looked around to see even more nods. "I don't think all this will benefit the dark families at all. Since the lighter students have been treating him just as badly as the darker ones, I think he holds the light in as much contempt as he does the dark. Some of you members of the neutral families may want to remember that as I feel he will either start his own faction or be attracted to the more grey families. My final warning is this, if you draw your wand on Mr. Potter, be prepared for the consequences as he is not the same young man he was at the start of the year. There will be nothing I can do to save you and Mr. Potter already has expressed his desire to be expelled."

Greg Goyle asked "Uh…why would he want that?"

Daphne turned and said "If he gets expelled, he is banished from the magical world AND becomes emancipated at the same time to fend for himself."

He sat there dumbly for a minute before she added "If he is banished from our world, he's granted status as an adult and gets control of the Potter holdings. I would bet that if he does, he takes his fortune and leaves."

Malfoy said "So, he leaves with whatever pitiful amount his family left him. Big deal."

Blaise Zabini laughed. "Malfoy, did you ever do your studies on other houses when you were younger?"

Draco pulled himself up haughtily. "I am a Malfoy. Why should I concern myself with lesser houses?"

That statement did more harm to his alliances than any other he could make. Blaise sneered "Your family may be wealthy but the Potters are an ancient family. They and several others could probably buy your father ten times over and still have enough to live off comfortably for the rest of their lives."

Daphne Greengrass was an extremely intelligent young lady and had studied the family lines extensively. She had done this to find a suitable future husband from her classmates. The lines that ended with Harry Potter were numerous and powerful. Before coming to Hogwarts, he had been at the top of her list until he fell in with the Weasleys. She was mentally rearranging her list once again to place him at the top. It was time to start making overtures in his direction just as she had planned in first year.

Draco's mouth closed quickly as the others glared at him. Snape took in the scene before him and knew that he had done what he could for them. The rest would be up to them. A quick glance towards Daphne showed him that the wheels in her head were turning and she would soon be approaching Harry. Severus thought the match would be a good one. She would teach him control while he taught her passion. Her family was staunchly neutral which would be a good fit for Harry. His only problem with it was the nagging suspicion that Harry wasn't as alone as everyone thought. He certainly hoped that as the case as he turned and walked out of the common room.

_END FLASHBACK_

**LC**

Bearclaw was sitting in his office writing what was probably the twentieth letter to the Heir of the Potters in as many days. He reflected back on the night he was summoned to Ragnok's office which had him reliving the meeting in his dreams. The thing that had Bearclaw confused was the reaction to the news. He knew that the Potters were a wealthy and respected family but the loss of those accounts shouldn't have made Ragnok react as he did. The only thing that had saved his head was the paperwork that showed Albus Dumbledore had blocked the young Potter from everything except his trust vault. Ragnok then concentrated on Mr. Potter's treatment at the hands of Bearclaw.

With the threat of the loss of the Potter holdings hanging over him, Bearclaw knew that Ragnok would not take it lying down and he had his worst fears revealed. After the initial tirade, Ragnok turned to an aid and nodded his head. Before Bearclaw's eyes, his whole family was brought into the chamber in chains and was stood before him as he knelt in front of Ragnok. Ragnok's eyes fell upon his sister who was Bearclaw's wife. She looked at him pleadingly and received a nod from Ragnok.

In the Goblin language, she coldly asked "What have you done to put us at my brother's mercy husband?"

Ragnok knew that it would not be his sister's blood that was spilt today. He grew up with her and couldn't think of a more suitable punishment than to have to listen to her scorn every night when Bearclaw came home from work. The fact that she was Ragnok's sister meant that Bearclaw couldn't touch her if he valued his own life.

Ragnok stepped in front of the most promising of Bearclaw's sons and even though it hurt him to do so, his sword flashed and the young Goblin fell to the floor. He finally turned to Bearclaw and growled "Your actions today required a blood payment. Know this, your head remains attached to your neck as long as the Potter accounts remain at Gringotts. The moment they disappear, so do your life and your children will be forced to endure the shame of being your children for the rest of their lives."

With a wave of his hand, Bearclaw and the rest of his family were roughly shoved out of the chamber. Ragnok sat back down on his throne and began to ponder whether it would be a violation of the treaty with the Ministry to kill a manipulative old man. While he was going to let Bearclaw flounder along for a while, he would not rely solely on the account manager to fix this mess. He thought back to Griphook and how Mr. Potter had been satisfied with him. He might just call on Griphook to act as a go between for him and Mr. Potter until they could meet face to face. He knew that one way or another; Bearclaw's fate had already been decided as he would either be dead or replaced. The Goblin chief was privy to a lot more information than even some of the highest ranking Goblins. Even though Bearclaw was over the Potter accounts, there was ancient information that could not be shared until the heir was aware of it. When it did happen, he knew that the loss of the Potter accounts would be disastrous for them because he knew just how many accounts were secretly tied to the Potter vaults. Ragnok also knew that the loss of the Potter accounts would destroy Gringotts and if that happened, the nation would see his head lying on the floor next to Bearclaw's.

Bearclaw shook his head to clear the events of that night. He would then finish his apology to Mr. Potter along with a request to return so that they could discuss the matter in more detail. He even hinted that they might find a way to circumvent the restrictions. Little did he know that the letters were never received by Harry.

When Harry was a baby, Dumbledore placed a mail redirection ward on Privet Drive that would only allow the letters he deemed were safe to fall into Harry's hands which were none. When Harry came to Hogwarts, he added another such ward to the castle that he ingeniously tied to Harry. He had modified them to allow the Weasleys and Miss Granger to write him and even this year allowed Remus and Sirius to write him after an oath not to reveal anything to Harry. If anyone else were to write him, too much might be revealed and Albus couldn't have that.

**LC**

Albus sat in his office in contemplation. He was quite smug as he thought about making the Marauders give the oath. He expected it to drive a wedge between Harry and Sirius who was the only person who could literally take Harry from him. He smiled at his thoughts of the brilliantly successful plan. His problems came during his attempts to gain even more control over Harry. That whole plan backfired and allowed Harry to break away from the people who kept him informed about what Harry was doing. He thought about what Severus said and it did seem as if the boy's bindings were coming unraveled. It was obvious from the first task that the power block was gone with how he stood up to the dragon. The small glimpse he got of Harry's mind also showed that the mental block was gone as well. The speed at which Harry's mind was moving rivaled that of his mother and one of Harry's former friends, Miss Granger. If there was one thing Albus did know, it was that once Harry started connecting the dots, he would have a lot to answer for.

The other problem Albus had was who to select as Mr. Potter's hostage in the second task. With him having cut all ties to his friends along with walking out on Miss Granger during the ball, he didn't really have anyone to choose from. In his original plans, Mr. Weasley would be his hostage. Albus was going to use him as the person Harry would miss most to throw some suspicion on Harry's sexual orientation therefore keeping the many girls that were interested in Harry from approaching. If they could forestall the inevitable, then maybe Miss Weasley would be ready to take up her role in Harry's life just as he and Molly planned. He then had the brilliant idea, at least in his mind, to use Ginny as Harry's hostage. He had already saved her once; surely he would do it again.

Albus gave a little shudder as he thought about the Chamber of Secrets incident. One of his biggest fears was that the Weasleys would find out that he knew about the whole thing and allowed things to progress as they did. There were also several choices Albus had made for the Greater Good that he was not too proud of. The three that were the worst were centered on Harry where in all three cases; Harry ended up facing Voldemort alone and almost died each time. Ginny Weasley's involvement in the chamber incident was just basically collateral damage in the war. The fact that she would be mentally scarred from the experience for the rest of her life was a justifiable expense to ensure the Greater Good.

Harry's name coming out of the Goblet had been a surprise to him but he took advantage of the situation and tried to use it to his advantage. The fact that it worked against him was an annoyance at best. Albus knew Tom was behind Harry ending up in the tournament and it didn't bode well for what lie ahead. The real concern for Albus was that with Harry cutting ties with him and everyone else, there was no way to subtly guide Harry along and this time he would be on his own. He hoped that this wouldn't be the fourth and final major mistake in his choices regarding Harry.

**LC**

The day of the much anticipated second task finally arrived and the Great Hall was pretty lively at breakfast. The only people not enjoying themselves were the three champions who were looking around nervously as if they were searching for someone. Megan was sitting next to Cedric and whispered "Cho will be fine. If you can't get to her, I'm sure Harry will have your back."

"I know but while we protected you, we couldn't do the same for her. Speaking of that, I wonder who they got for Harry."

She cast a quick glance over at the Gryffindor table but noticed there were a lot of Lions missing this morning. "I don't know. It seems as if half the Lions are missing this morning."

Cedric glanced over and then looked back at his own table where he found Leanne sitting there eating. He got up and went over to her. "Hey Leanne, I know you're friends with Katie Bell. What's up with the Gryffs this morning? It looks like half their house is missing."

"Yeah, Katie told me they were going to try and talk to Harry this morning and tell him that they're pulling for him."

"Oh okay. It just seemed kind of strange that they were all running this late. I was hoping nothing had happened."

Once he sat back down, he whispered "The Gryffs were lying in wait for Harry this morning. Pity they don't know that he's been in our room for a couple hours already."

She punched his shoulder and whispered back "You prat, why didn't you tell me. I wanted to wish him luck."

"Didn't you do that last night with that kiss?"

She blushed "I...we didn't."

Cedric chuckled "No but you wanted to. So who do you think his hostage is?"

"Ten galleons say it's the little Weasley stalker."

Cedric snorted "Which one, the boy or the girl?"

"The girl you idiot."

At that moment, the rest of Gryffindor house piled into the Great Hall with a dejected look on their face. Once they settled and took their seats, it was obvious that Ginny was missing. She whispered "Harry's gonna love fishing her out of the lake. It'll probably make her stalk him even more."

With an evil grin, he asked "What? Are you afraid of a little competition?"

"As if, they say all girls turn out like their mothers. Now, you've seen mum and you've seen Molly Weasley. Which would you choose to spend the rest of your life with?" She said with a smirk.

"Point, but since I know both of them, even at her worst, your mother is nothing like Molly 'The Howler' Weasley on a normal day."

"Well I wasn't exactly talking about how they acted."

Cedric chuckled "I know and yes your mum is pretty hot."

"Oh? Have you been perving on my mum?"

"NO! Hell Meg, she's practically my own mum as well." When he turned to look at her, he noticed she was holding her sides to keep from busting out at his sudden embarrassment.

**LC**

At the end of breakfast, Dumbledore stood and announced "It's time for all the champions to make their way to Black Lake where a boat will be waiting for you. On the same note, it would also be a good time for the students and guests to make their way down as well. We will begin in one hour."

The champions and judges were escorted to the lake by a huge crowd of spectators. As they stepped over to the boats that would take them to their platform, it became apparent that Harry was not with them. Cedric looked out over the lake and noticed a lone figure sitting on one of the platforms sitting cross legged like he was doing some kind of muggle meditation. A closer glance showed a greenish aura surrounding him. No one else noticed and finally Ludo Bagman said "We can't wait for the fourth champion any longer. I guess he will just forfeit this round."

Cedric said as he raised his arm and pointed "Um…Mr. Bagman, I think he is waiting for us."

When the other judges and champions looked over as Harry sat there glowing with power. Dumbledore finally said "I guess we'd better join him."

As they took the boat over, Dumbledore was looking at Harry hungrily. He knew this would be his best shot at putting a compulsion charm on Harry and bringing him back under control. What nobody knew was that he could do it wandlessly with a simple touch.

As soon as the boat reached the platform, Dumbledore was out and moving quickly towards Harry. He approached and put his hand out to lay it on Harry's shoulder but when he got within an inch of it, his hand sparked and he received a medium shock. Harry opened his eyes and sent a hard glare straight at Dumbledore before he looked over at his fellow champions. Once he gave them a quick nod, he closed his eyes once again.

Albus asked "Mr. Potter, may I ask how you got out here when the boats were not charmed to leave until we arrived?"

With his eyes still closed, Harry responded "I flew." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his shrunken Firebolt which he quickly put back in his pocket.

"Maybe I should hold on to that during the task."

"No, I don't think so as I'm quite sure you would force me to retrieve it from your office and while I'm sure the conversation would be quite _charming_, I would rather not subject myself to it."

Albus winced at the reference as Cedric chuckled. "Nevertheless, I still think I should confiscate it for the time being."

"And I've already told you no. You have no right to take it from me. The rules for this task say nothing against it and by school rules; you can only do that to something that is posing a clear and present danger to the students or the castle. Since it does neither, then I am well within my rights to refuse to give it up."

"Mr. Potter, if you continue to defy me, you will sit detention."

Harry snorted "Well that worked so well for you last time but you are welcome to try."

Albus realized that Harry was once again making a fool out of him and changed subjects. "May I ask where you have been?"

"You may ask but I won't tell you. Just be thankful I showed up for your stupid tournament that YOU forced me into."

Albus and the rest of the judges decided it was best to back off at this point. Cedric sat down next to Harry and began to converse in a low tone. "It's always fun watching you have a go at them. So, just what are you doing?"

Harry chuckled "I'm relaxing before we have to jump in that lake. Have you felt the water? Damn it's cold."

Cedric laughed. "What did you expect? It's February in Scotland."

Harry said loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Well someone should make the judges jump in the water and see how stupid this is. In fact, I may just reducto the supports and send them in anyway."

"Um…Harry, magic remember. There aren't any supports. The whole thing is using runes to levitate."

"Crap. There goes my plan for this task."

Cedric laughed as he stood and said "Good luck Harry."

"You too Cedric."

AN: As far as some comments that were made, I know I'm not a polished writer and I will probably never claim to be. I do take your advice on occasion and do appreciate the constructive criticism. Some of the reason I write the way I do is that I am born and raised in the Southern United States. Being a true southerner, we are not dumb but are also not known for our perfect grammar. The other reason I write the way I do is through advice from you guys over the last two years. I am not here to impress you with my gift of big words. I write so that a wide variety of ages and people will understand my meaning even though I don't always succeed. Old-Crow, one of my favorite writers, basically says that he is a story teller and if you are looking for grammatical perfection, you're looking in the wrong place. I happen to agree with him and write for my own and hopefully your enjoyment. Evidently, I'm doing something right as you guys keep reading what I write even if it is only to laugh at my mistakes.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: No, I don't own it and doubt my confundus charm will work that will give me the opportunity.

AN: Two things real quick. Thank you for your support. The other is an apology for having you endure a rant at the end of the last chapter.

Chapter 4

Harry and Dobby used their time alone to plan for the second task. The advances Harry had made with his magic would allow him to complete it easily but they also didn't want to expose his abilities this early in the game. Harry still had six months before he could make his move towards freedom and the longer he prolonged the inevitable, the easier it would be. In the end, they came up with three plans; the first would use gillyweed to transform Harry into a humanoid water creature that could easily move around Black Lake. The second plan would use his newfound magic which would be dispelled before reaching the surface. In the final plan, Harry would use his Firebolt and get the heck out of there. Dobby, in his infinite quest to help Harry had gone out and purchased enough gillyweed to survive underwater for three hours just incase there were problems.

As the champions were lined up and Dumbledore was counting down to the firing of the starting cannon, Harry shoved the gillyweed in his mouth and started chewing. Cedric gave him a strange look to which Harry responded with a large gillyweed filled smile. After a snort from Cedric, Harry finished chewing and then swallowed the slimy plant. Just as the cannon went off, all three of the other champions enacted their plans and dove into the water.

Harry had a good idea how long it would take for the gillyweed to affect him and by his plan, he was the last one in he water a full thirty seconds after the other champions. True to what he told Cedric after the first task, he was letting his inner Hufflepuff out and was following along behind the other champions to make sure they survived the task. He knew that his method was probably the best out of all the champions except for that creepy shark thing that Krum did.

The reason why Harry was out on the platform meditating was so that he would know which way to go. He used a technique Dobby taught him to locate magical signatures. Since Ginny owed him a life debt, it was easy to pick up hers as he scanned the lake. He followed the strand that linked them both and swam up to Cedric. After a tap to the shoulder, he pointed out the direction he needed to go and with a nod, Cedric headed in the right direction, Harry turned and sped over to Fleur. He motioned for her to go the same direction but received a frown and a quick shake of the head. Harry shrugged and headed off to watch over Cedric. He followed Cedric for a while and when he saw Cedric was making good time, he swam back to check on the French champion. He hadn't gone far before he saw a pack of grindylows overwhelming her and blood staining the water.

Harry sped over and with a wave of his hands, banished the little buggers twenty feet away from her. As he took in her appearance, her normally gorgeous body and face was bloody and bruised and she was barely conscious. The situation went from bad to worse as her eyes closed and the bubble from her bubble head charm started to flicker until it finally vanished. He reacted on instinct and used the only way he could think of to save her which was pressing his lips to hers in order to breathe for both of them. He knew she was in no shape to continue the task so he wrapped his arms around her and kicked hard towards the surface. Her eyes started to open on the way up and when she noticed what was happening, those same eyes grew wide in alarm. As he approached the platform, he gave a final kick which propelled them out of the water and onto the hard surface. As they landed, the only thing he heard was Fleur muttering "Ma Sueur". Harry didn't know much French but he did know she was saying 'my sister'. With a quick nod, he dove back into the water before the judges could approach.

Harry didn't waste any time and sped through the water. As he came upon the merpeople village, he noticed Krum and Cedric were working on releasing their hostages. He saw Ginny Weasley and sighed internally. Even though he knew she was the one down here, he thought 'Shite, she'll be following me round even more now. Bet Dumbledore had something to do with this.' He knew he should be angry and refuse to take her back up but a part of him just couldn't do that to her. In a way, she was a victim of all this just like he was and although he would no longer seek out her friendship, he wasn't so cold that he would just leave her. He floated in front of her for another minute before making his decision. He'd have to rescue her if only for them to think that he was still somewhat on their side.

He glanced over at Cedric who was laughing at him as if he could figure out what Harry was thinking. Even though he had webbed fingers, Harry made his gesture as plain as possible which caused Cedric to start laughing even harder. Harry looked at him and pointed to the surface to which Cedric nodded and headed off.

Harry turned back to Ginny and pulled his silver knife to cut her bindings. Once Ginny was free, he looked over at Krum and saw that he had released Mandy Brocklehurst. It crossed his mind that Krum preyed on young girls so maybe he really was a shark. Harry let Ginny float free for a second before going towards the miniature Fleur that was tied up. As he started to cut her bindings, a merman tried to push him out of the way. The merman squealed "You can only take your hostage."

Harry replied "Her sister was hurt so I'm taking her with me."

Several mermen surrounded Harry as he was arguing and as soon as they lunged at him, Harry used his wandless magic to push them away. Harry hurriedly cut the bindings on the girl and dragged her along as he grabbed Ginny and headed for the surface. The burden of towing two bodies was slowing him down and the mermen had little trouble catching up to him. Just as they were about to confront him again, the shark/man barreled through them knocking them out of the way. In an instant, he was on Harry and bit into his side. As the shark was rolling and shaking his head, the flesh from around Harry's ribs, abdomen, and back were ripped away leaving mangled flesh. Krum's thoughts were 'This will teach you to interfere with one of my dates.'

Even though the mermen were confronting Harry, they weren't really a threat as they were told to put on a show but not hurt anyone and protect the students as best as they could. When the shark grabbed Harry, they were torn because they knew the shark was a student but at the same time, the shark was trying to kill another. In the end, they tried to protect Harry and lunged forward with their tridents through the blood filled water. The shark caught a glint of metal from the tridents and released his victim. His reactions were so quick that he was gone before they even realized the attack was over.

In the confusion of the moment, one of the mermen warriors had already thrown his trident at the shark and being unable to stop it, the trident pierced Harry's left thigh. As the merman tried to pull back on the trident, it grabbed flesh and bone and became firmly lodged in Harry's leg. The merman tried once again but the handle broke leaving the trident stuck through his thigh. The results of all this was Harry floating limply in the water with his two charges nearby.

Harry was trying to regain his composure and fight through the pain as he floated there surrounded by blood leaking from his body. The mermen tried to approach him to help but under the circumstances, he took their movement as threatening and pushed them away with his wandless magic. Once they were far enough away, Harry thought about sealing the wounds around his torso and with a pass of his hand, the mangled part of his body was covered in a yellowish glow. He fought through the terrible pain he was in and glanced at his watch. Sometime during the two fights, his watch had been broken and the last position of the hands showed him he had fifteen minutes left. Not knowing how long he had, he noticed his two hostages were floating close by and appeared unharmed so he grabbed their arms and made his best speed towards the surface. The mermen followed along at a distance to make sure he made it alright and knowing how badly this would go sent one of their warriors to get their chief and explain what happened. They felt it would be necessary so that he could speak with silver beard.

Harry was within ten feet of the surface when he pain in his neck added to that of his body and leg. He knew that meant that his gills were disappearing and he fought harder for the surface before he lost his flipper feet and webbed hands as well. By the end of the effort, he was almost too tired to make it to the platform but soldiered on anyway. As soon as the two girls' heads appeared above the surface of the lake, they woke up and were able to help in getting to the platform. The effort was made more difficult by the freezing cold water that Harry could now feel due to the gillyweed wearing off. For Harry, the water was a blessing and a curse as it numbed the pain in his body while it cold sapped what little remained of his strength.

Once they reached the platform, several pairs of hands stretched out and pulled the girls out of the water. The little French girl was tugged out by a sobbing Fleur who had her in a hug as she wrapped them both in a blanket. Cedric grabbed Ginny and hauled her up and quickly passed her to Madam Pomfrey. As Cedric turned back to Harry, he saw that he had relaxed now that both girls were safe. Cedric stuck his hand out for Harry and was quickly waved off. Cedric knew something was wrong and asked "Harry?"

Harry shook his head and said "Give me a minute." He allowed himself to sink back into the water to let the cold water numb him some more.

Once Harry built up a little strength, he reached out and Cedric grabbed his hand. As he grabbed it, Harry winced and groaned in pain. Cedric yelled "Cho, get over here, I need your help." She ran over and grabbed Harry's other arm and helped get him on the platform as everyone else stood and dumbly watched the scene in front of them. It kind of rankled Cedric that Fleur didn't even offer to help after all that Harry had just done for her and her sister. As soon as Harry cleared the water, they could see what was wrong. The trident was sticking out of his leg and where his shirt had been ripped; there were what looked like bite marks that had ripped the flesh and mangled his right side.

Cho gasped "Harry, what the hell happened to you?"

Harry looked at Cedric and growled out "Why don't you ask Viktor and the mermen?"

Cedric tried to hold Harry up and lead him off. "Come on Harry; let's get you to Madam Pomfrey."

Harry whispered "No, that'll put me at their tender mercies. I can't get trapped again."

Cedric pleaded. "But Harry, this is bad."

Harry winced again. "Can't be helped, I've got to go with Plan C."

Cedric pleaded "No Harry, you can't. You need help."

Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out the broom. He resized it and slowly climbed on as the judges saw what he was doing and moved towards him. With a grunt, he kicked off and rose above their heads before they could stop him. Madam Pomfrey was busy tending to the others and didn't notice Harry's condition until he flew off. Harry flight was erratic and shot over the castle grounds until he ploughed into the ground not too far from the castle entrance. He rolled about on the ground in agony for a minute before finally crying out as he sat up. In view of everyone, he reached down and pulled the trident free giving a horrific grunt as it tore free. Just as the blood started pouring out of the wounds, he pulled his wand and with a flash of light and a scream, he cauterized in his leg. It was as he used the broom to get on his feet that everyone saw his side was ripped open and bloody.

Madam Pomfrey sat there stunned that one of her favorite students would do such a thing when she was right here. Out of everyone on the platform, she gained her wits first and apparated to spot on the ground that held a pool of blood and a trident. She looked up and saw him slowly making his way to the castle. She tore off after him yelling "Mr. Potter….Harry. Let me help you!"

Her only answer was the castle doors opening and Harry limping along on his way. By the time she got to the castle, Harry was nowhere to be seen. The crowd had been shocked at first until a group of Gryffindors charged out of the stands to go help one of their own. As soon as they arrived, Hermione screeched "Where is he?"

In a small voice, she answered "I don't know. He wouldn't stop for me. Why would he do that? He needs help."

Neville Longbottom spoke up. "It's because he doesn't trust the lot of us. He said that he couldn't turn his back on any of us so I'd bet he went wherever he goes so that he could feel safe."

Poppy was sobbing "But I can help him. I've always helped him."

Hermione said "We know Madam Pomfrey. He doesn't want any of our help anymore."

Megan watched the whole scene and then quietly slipped off to see if Harry was in their room. When she arrived, Harry was sprawled out on a couch while Dobby tended to him. She ran over and was sitting on her knees and started running her hands through his hair. "Harry? Come on Harry, talk to me."

Dobby said "Harry is passed out Mistress Megs. He be sleeping for a while. Dobby make sure Harry is okay."

She sat there for quite a while as Dobby took care of Harry. Dobby popped out a few times and reappeared with several vials of potions. He gingerly poured the contents down his throat and then popped out again. When he reappeared, Dobby had Harry's trunk and all his belongings. As soon as she saw this, she asked "What are you doing Dobby?"

"Dobby sorry Mistress but Dobby be taking Harry somewhere safe. Dobby will hide and protect Harry until he can stand for himself."

"No Dobby, I need him here."

"Dobby sorry but Dobby must put Harry's safety first. Master's orders were to get him out of here if he was unable to protect himself."

She grabbed his face and kissed him hard on the lips. "I…I love you Harry. Please come back to me."

As she started crying, Dobby waved his hands over Harry and he disappeared. He turned to the trunk and did the same thing before making himself disappear. He grabbed both and with a loud 'pop' they were gone. Dobby arrived at the edge of the wards and then walked through with Harry and the trunk levitated behind him. Once they were outside the wards, Dobby popped them away from the school and back to their hotel suite. Dobby knew that he had done all he could for Harry and wasn't sure who he could trust. He checked to make sure Harry was soundly asleep and busied himself around the already clean suite. Dobby was scared and hoped Harry woke soon so he could tell him what to do. Dobby knew lot about fixing magic but not so much about repairing broken bodies. Right now, he knew Harry needed rest to heal as his magic was drained. Once his magic was restored, it would restore his body like it had done many times before.

**LC**

Albus was horrified at the condition of Harry when he came out of the lake. Yes he wanted to toughen Harry up and used the tournament as an excuse to do so but he didn't want Harry dead, well at least until it was the right time. He began to think that the whole tournament idea had been a bad one as everything he had worked for was destroyed and his was probably ruined beyond repair. Not only had Albus ruined his relationship with the boy but also those of his classmates, the staff, and worst of all his Godfather.

If Albus ever had doubts about Sirius' sanity, they had been confirmed recently as the man was clearly suicidal and was almost in the mental state he was in when he first escaped from Azkaban. The only thing keeping him alive was the fear of having to face James and Lily in the afterlife and the fact that he found it easier to deal with the pain if he spent most of his time as a dog.

Karkaroff led Viktor and Mandy over to a boat and took them to shore at Krum's urging. Cedric had been keeping as eye on Krum since Harry made his comment. He knew that Krum was nervous about something and seemed to be in a hurry to get away.

The pandemonium on the platform increased as the head of houses arrived wanting answers to what happened. Before Albus could say anything, a horrible screeching could be heard coming from over the edge. As Albus moved that way and started speaking to the merman chief, everyone gathered around to hear what Albus translated to the crowd. There were several gasps as the events were revealed and Cedric now knew why Krum was so eager to get away. Cho had to physically hold him back as he made for the boats. When the chief saw this, he motioned Cedric forward.

"You ah friendz wif Mistah Pahtah?"

Cedric worked through what was being asked him and finally said "Yes."

The chief nodded and said "Tell Mistah Pahtah my warrior waz twyin to hep him. We apahlajiz fah de ahksadent."

When Cedric worked through that he said "I'll tell him. I'm sure he won't hold you responsible. He's more likely to hold the person, who made him go down there in the first place, responsible for his injuries along with the person who caused them. I know I would."

The chief gave him a nod and with Professors Flitwick and Sprout escorting them, he and Cho made their way to the boats. As they floated across the water, Flitwick said "If you can contact Mr. Potter. Please offer my apologies."

Sprout added "Me too Cedric."

Cedric shot them a look and said "I doubt he will accept it. He quit going to your classes too didn't he? Just do me a favor. Remember what you just heard tonight at dinner if Krum has the balls to show up. Somebody in this school needs to stand up for Harry and I guess the job is left to me since no one else has the courage to do what's right."

He walked away with Cho without even giving the two heads of houses a second glance. The other boats touched shore and Minerva led a distraught Ginny up to the castle. Another boat held Madam Maxine as well as Fleur and her little sister. Once on shore, she led them towards the carriage. From the looks of it, Fleur was deep in thought. As they walked away, Cho muttered "Stuck up bint couldn't even say thank you."

Bringing up the rear was Albus and Severus along with Ludo Bagman and Percy Weasley. The conversation they were holding was spoken so low that no one else could hear but it was clear that they were arguing about something.

The group finally made it to the entrance of the castle where they found a sobbing Poppy sitting on the floor. Minerva passed Ginny off to Hermione and went to her friend. "What's wrong Poppy? Where is Mr. Potter?"

"He wouldn't stop and let me help him. He just disappeared like he has been all year. How can I help James' baby if he won't let me?"

Albus arrived and heard the tail end of the conversation. When he realized Harry was not in Poppy's care, he turned and loudly said "Mr. Diggory, if you know where we might find Mr. Potter, take us to him now."

Cedric stood straight and said "I don't know where he is and even if I did, I wouldn't screw him over like the rest of you have done this year. If he wants to be found, he will be. If he doesn't he won't."

"Mr. Diggory, you will take me to him or I will see you in detention."

Cedric snapped back "I'll be glad to sit any detention you require but it will be with my head of house and I still won't tell you where he is. You know, it scares me when someone who needs help is too afraid to get said help because he knows that if he does, he will be locked up once again or made to forget everything that happened this year."

The crowd gasped and Albus grew furious. "Very well Mr. Diggory. That will be two weeks detention with your head of house beginning tonight."

"I'm sorry Professor but I won't be able to start until tomorrow night. I'll need to contact my father about this and see how he wants to proceed. I can promise you that I will suggest speaking to the Prophet and the DMLE about what has happened this year. I'm sure both parties will be very interested."

Albus paled and before he could say anything, Cedric added "I'm not Harry, Professor. I grew up in this world and wasn't left ignorant of it and I know how to get things done. If you force the issue, I will take Harry under my protection."

Albus looked at him for a minute before saying "That will not be necessary. Detentions cancelled citing the emotional state we are all in."

Cedric turned and stormed off towards the Ravenclaw dorms as he dragged Cho along with him. When he settled a bit and slowed down, she asked "You knew he'd back down didn't you?"

He smiled "Yeah, he doesn't want anyone having any kind of control over Harry but him. If I took him under my protection, my dad would have to authority to launch an investigation into all matters concerning House Potter and that's the last thing he wants."

She smiled up at him. "Maybe you should do it anyway. I mean, it would help Harry."

"No, Harry already has a good plan in place. He just has to wait a little while longer and he's fine with that."

As they arrived at the door to the Ravenclaw dorm, Cedric kissed her gently and said "Go get cleaned up and get some rest. Sit with me at dinner?"

She smiled and gave him a quick kiss in response. As she went though the door, she yelled back "It's a date as long as you don't take me back to the lake."

Cedric laughed as the door closed and he took off to find Harry. As he walked through the castle, he got looks from several people who acted like they wanted to say something but a look from him discouraged the idea. When no one was looking, he disappeared down a forgotten corridor and stepped quickly to the door of their room. As he opened the door, he found Megan lying on the couch crying. He went over and sat beside her. Without even looking up she wrapped her arms around him and continued to cry. After a half hour, she finally settled and he asked "What's got you so worked up other than the obvious?"

She sniffed "He…He's pretty bad Ced."

He looked around the room and asked "Where is he?"

With a sniff, she answered "Dobby took him. He said Harry instructed him that if Harry was incapacitated, that he was to get him and Harry away and to safety. I begged Dobby to let him stay here and that I would look after him but he refused. I think Dobby only waited long enough to make sure Harry was stable and to tell one of us."

He patted her arm and said "Don't worry Meg, Dobby is a good elf and is completely devoted to Harry. If he can't help him, I'm sure he will find someone who will. Sometimes I think he's worse that Madam Pomfrey when it comes to Harry. She kept crying and saying something about James' baby. I think Harry not letting her help broke her heart."

"Yeah, Granger and Longbottom both told her he didn't trust anyone in the castle and he didn't want their help any more. Not much compassion there, Huh?"

Cedric smiled "Well they know about me and Harry now. You're still safe for the moment but I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually. When it happens, expect the masses to start asking you to tell him they're sorry."

She sighed "I don't care anymore. I just want Harry here and to finally be safe. So what do we do now?"

Cedric sighed "I don't really know as far as Harry is concerned. I'll just try to push them off as long as I can. I don't think they need to know he's not in the castle. It would mess up his plans."

"Agreed so deny, deny, deny."

"Yep and we need to go get cleaned up for dinner. There's going to be a bit of excitement there tonight."

"What's going on?"

Cedric growled out "Krum turned back and bit Harry in his shark form. That's where the big place on his side came from. I intend to make him admit it in front of the whole castle at dinner and then explain why."

She pulled him up from the couch and started leading him back to the Hufflepuff dorms. As they walked, she said "I hope Harry is okay."

He gave her a small smile. "Dobby will keep us informed. You are Mistress Megs you know."

She punched his shoulder and said "You prat. Will you let it drop?"

He smirked "Did you let it drop when you found out I liked Cho?"

"Crap!"

"Yep"

They walked back to the Hufflepuff dorms in silence. Neither was happy with the current situation but unlike Harry, they at least had each other for support. As Megan thought about this, she had to fight back tears once again. When Harry returned, she had made up her mind that since he wouldn't ask her until this was over, that she would ask him. One way or another, the boy she had grown close to would be hers.

**LC**

Cedric and Megan arrived early to the Great Hall and took their seats at the Hufflepuff table and it wasn't long before Cho joined them. During the conversation, Cho said "As much time as he spends with you, I'm beginning to wonder if I should feel jealous."

Cedric chuckled and said "Oh, you don't have to worry about that. We know each other too well for that to ever work. Besides, I think her heart belongs to another."

Cho quickly figured out what that meant and said "I'm happy for you. He's a good guy and will treat you right."

Megan blushed but smiled at the comment. Cho added "Please be good to him. He deserves some happiness."

All Megan could do was nod before Fleur came over with her little sister and asked "May we join you?"

Cedric gave her his most political smile and said "Certainly though I'm not sure we would meet up with your standards."

Fleur sat down and looked down at the table. "I know I deserve that for how I treated your friend. I would like to apologize to him face to face but I think that will be difficult now. Would you pass it along please and also give him my thanks for what he did for me and my sister during the task. He saved my life and completed my task for me. I am thankful for my life but even more so for what he did for Gabrielle."

Cedric said "I will pass it along when I see him again." He received a kick under the table from Megan for the last part.

Fleur latched on to that comment and asked "You don't know where he is?"

Cedric truthfully said "No, he has hidden from everyone. It may be some time before he shows back up."

She nodded and looked to be in deep thought for a minute. She finally straightened her shoulders. "There is another matter I wish to speak with him about. I…What he did today makes me indebted to him."

Megan asked "Do you mean a life debt?"

Fleur nodded "For a Veela, it is not such a simple matter. Our magic is different and a debt of this type must be settled or it will start to affect me."

Cho asked "How is it different? From what I've heard, Harry collects life debts like some people collect chocolate frog cards and that doesn't even count the debt owed to him by our whole society from when he was a baby."

Megan jumped in "Yeah, I think I heard that Granger and the Weasley girl both owe him a life debt but after what all has happened, the only way he'd use them is to make sure they left him alone."

She smiled as she heard gasps behind her.

Fleur blushed and quietly said "A Veela's magic will compel her to satisfy the debt by sacrificing something to him. In my case, it could be my virginity or I could be bonded to him for life as a concubine. There are other ways to satisfy the debt but most do not apply in this situation as Harry is too young to want children yet."

Megan stared at her for a few minutes in shock. Her eyes cut over to Cedric who was also staring at Fleur in shock. She finally burst out in mocking laughter in the French champion's face. She growled out "Why in the hell do you think Harry would ever accept anything you had to offer? You treated him like the dirt beneath your feet and then insulted his manhood."

Fleur indignantly replied "I did no such thing. I merely stated he was too young to compete."

Cedric said "You called him a little boy when he has done more than most adults."

"I do not understand. What do you mean?"

Cedric said "Harry has already faced you-know-who four times in his life and lived to tell about it. If that isn't enough, he killed a sixty-five foot basilisk at twelve and has faced all kinds of stuff that would make most of us crap our pants and go crying to mummy."

"Mon dieu"

Megan said "Yeah, he has more reason to brag or gloat and walk around here showing he's as tough as Draco Malfoy thinks he is but instead, he's quiet and caring and really sweet. And then the tournament happens and everyone treats him like crap and makes his life even more miserable than it already was. And then you have the nerve to come over here and claim you owe him a debt and that you intend to claim him as your own to satisfy that debt. I don't see how Harry would benefit from such a thing. In my opinion, the debt would only grow because he would have to take care of a spoiled princess like you for the rest of his life. I don't care what you think but you don't deserve to even look at him or wash his feet. Your best bet is to tell him thank you and move on. Anything else is laughable because he wouldn't give you the time of day no matter what you look like."

Not realizing that they were drawing attention, a crowd had started listening in. Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Neville were amongst the first Gryffindors in the Great Hall and heard the whole thing. Their eyes widened that not only had they been replaced but here was someone from another house that was heatedly defending Harry to the end. They finally saw Cedric squeeze her hand to calm her down but realized that Harry now had real friends that wouldn't turn their backs on him like they had. It was just another blow to their fragile egos that Harry didn't need them and had quite obviously moved on after their betrayal.

Fleur looked up after being berated as she was quietly said "You love him don't you?"

Megan noticed she had a lot of attention on her and said "Who wouldn't? He's a great guy that any girl would be proud to be with. His only requirement at this point is that you show some loyalty to him. You could be dog ugly and it wouldn't matter. I guess that's why he liked Granger so much as she was loyal to him until Halloween, well at least he thought she was."

Cedric cut her off as he whispered "Meg, I know you're mad but you need to shut up."

She smiled again as she heard a few sobs behind her.

Fleur had been watching the whole thing and knew that her answer had not been the whole truth. She decided to take Megan's advice and see if a simple thank you and a promise of help in the future would satisfy the debt. She finally said "I thank you for your insights and will attempt to satisfy my debt as you have suggested."

As Fleur rose and moved to sit amongst the students of her house, Gabrielle said in perfect English. "Please tell Harry that I said thank you. He didn't have to do what he did for me and I'd bet that if he hadn't helped me and my sister, he wouldn't have been hurt."

Megan smiled at the young girl and asked "Are you going to have to settle any debts with Harry?"

Gabrielle smiled "Goodness no, I was never in any danger. I had Harry Potter watching out for me."

Megan laughed "That's a good one, I'm sure Harry will get a laugh out of that."

With a grin, Gabrielle turned away and went to sit beside her sister. As Megan watched her go, she felt a tap on her shoulder. When she turned around, a teary eyed Ginny Weasley was standing in front of her and asked "Is Harry okay? Do you know where he is?"

Megan gave the girl a hard but tear filled glare. "I don't know and thanks to you lot, he could be lying somewhere dying and we wouldn't know."

That was more than enough to send Ginny running from the Great Hall and she wouldn't be seen the rest of the night. Under normal circumstances, the Gryffs would be all over her for making Ginny cry but they couldn't deny the truth of the matter and sat there silently.

**LC**

The three of them ate in peace as everyone around could tell that Cedric and Megan were not happy. To make matters worse, Susan and Hannah were quick to move into the seats after Fleur and Gabrielle left. As they fawned all over Cedric even with Cho sitting there, Cedric tried to be as polite as possible but the two girls were starting to make him feel uncomfortable.

Megan finally had enough of their fawning and said "Will you two slags knock it off? Can't you realize that he's had a trying day with the tournament as well as with what happened to Harry?"

Susan asked "Why would we care what happened to Potter? He's trying to steal the spotlight from Cedric."

Cedric gave them a hard look and said "He is doing no such thing. Hell, he didn't even want to be in this damn tournament and has said so I don't know how many times."

Hannah asked "Why do you care Cedric?"

With a growl, he replied "I care because he is my friend. Now let me ask you something?"

Susan silkily sad "Anything"

After rolling his eyes, he said "I know your Aunt Amelia pretty well and I'm sure she required you to study the ancient families."

Susan replied "She did."

"Well in your training as the Heiress to House Bones, have you also studied treaties between houses? Especially your own?"

She still wasn't getting what Cedric was asking. "Yes"

"Was there an alliance between House Bones and House Potter?"

"Yes but that doesn't matter right now, we're in school. We don't need to worry about that until we graduate and take our places in society."

Cedric rolled his eyes and said "Meg, do you want this one?"

She gave an evil grin and asked "Can I? Really?"

He smirked as he nodded. She leaned over and kissed his cheek and then turned her eyes on the two girls. "Harry had some questions he wanted answered and Cedric and I suggested your Aunt. When he heard that she was your Aunt, he immediately refused saying that thanks to your behavior towards him, he wouldn't trust a Bones to wipe his arse. What this means is that on the day that Harry takes control over House Potter, House Bones will probably lose an alliance. Do you really think he's going to say that it was just school crap or do you think you made a lasting impression on him that will affect the future of your house?"

Susan looked at her stunned. Megan gave a smirk "I can see that quite a lot of the treaties with House Potter may be broken after this year. The loss of political and financial support for the lesser houses would be devastating don't you think? You know I once read that it was Harry's grandfather that paid to have Bones Manor rebuilt during the first war as a gesture of goodwill between the families. I can just imagine how your Aunt Amelia is going to act when she finds out what you've done. And don't get me started on what will happen when Augusta Longbottom discovers how her grandson single handedly destroyed an alliance that has been in effect for centuries."

Megan gave a satisfied smile as she heard Neville's gulp behind her and witnessed Susan pale at the ramifications hit her.

Susan and Hannah sat there in silence throughout the rest of the meal and there was not much being said at the Gryffindor table either. As the dishes were vanishing, Dumbledore rose and announced that they would give the champion's scores momentarily. It was evident that Dumbledore was waiting Krum when he was escorted into the Hall by Karkaroff. It appeared as if Dumbledore had heard of and was taking Cedric's threat very seriously.

Dumbledore stood at the podium and said. "Now that we are all here, we can begin. Could I have the champions up front please?"

As the champions moved forward, someone yelled out "You can't start without Harry Potter."

Dumbledore frowned and said "Mr. Potter is unavailable at the moment so we must continue without him. Please hold your applause until the end."

This started the first of many murmurs throughout the hall.

Dumbledore said "Miss Delacour receives a total of forty out of fifty points for the successful casting of the bubble head charm and since her hostage was returned during the pre-determined time."

Fleur was shocked and said "Non, I do not deserve such a score. Mr. Potter saved me and then brought my sister back for me."

Dumbledore said "Such modesty is refreshing but the score stands as it is."

Fleur flushed and looked apologetically to Cedric.

"Mr. Krum receives a total of forty-five points out of fifty for a successful if not strange partial transformation and for returning his hostage back within the allotted time."

Krum smiled as Cedric yelled "What? He attacked and tried to kill a fellow champion. How could you reward him for that?"

"Mr. Diggory, it is not against the rules to attack a fellow champion and all we have is the mermen account of what happened. Without Mr. Potter here, we have no proof."

A low rumble was heard across the hall as the students were finally made aware of what happened under the water. Cedric turned to Viktor and said in a menacing voice. "I'll be sure to inform Harry of that and we will see what happens in the final task. My only question is why?"

Viktor was angry that he had been challenged like this in front of the whole school and spoke without thinking. "He interfered with my date to the Ball. That was an insult to Viktor Krum and could not stand."

Cedric looked at him and said "You really are stupid. Harry had nothing to do with that. If you wanted to attack who was responsible, you should have

pointed your wand at Dumbledore and McGonagall. Harry wouldn't touch Granger with a ten foot pole."

Megan was watching the whole thing and inwardly smiled as she heard Granger sniff at that comment.

Dumbledore said "That will be enough Mr. Diggory. Your behavior is unbecoming a champion."

"And yours is unbecoming of a judge. Let's get on with this farce."

Dumbledore glared at him and then continued on. "Mr. Diggory receives forty-eight of fifty points for a successful casting of a bubble head charm and for returning his hostage within the allotted time."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and said "Mr. Potter receives….thirty points for the successful use of gillyweed and returning his hostage within the allotted time. The judges deducted five points for his interference with Miss Delacour's task. Another five point deduction was added for not following instructions by fighting with the mermen. In the end, it was decided that another five point deduction would be added because he did not get his hostage and himself on the platform. This concludes tonight's ceremonies."

Albus expected applause but there wasn't a sound in the entire hall. Cedric stood there and stared at Dumbledore. He finally said "He outperformed all of us. He even watched over us to make sure WE were safe. He actually saved Fleur who would have drowned. He was attacked by Krum and stabbed with a trident but even through all of that, he brought up two hostages and completed his task plus another champions. You deducted points for saving Fleur's life. You deducted points for fighting with mermen when you deducted none for that bastard biting him and then you had the audacity to deduct points for him needing help getting on the platform after all that. Is that all correct _Headmaster_?"

Albus looked sheepish at being dressed down by a student in front of the entire student population. "I wouldn't look at it in the context you put it in but that is essentially correct."

"Thank you for verifying that. I will use it in my quotes to the Daily Prophet when I discuss this sham of a tournament and the lack of impartial judges with them." Once he said that, he walked to his table and held out his arms to Megan and Cho. When they rose and headed out the door, Megan said loudly "Harry was right. They aren't worth the effort anymore."

**LC**

It took two days for Dobby to realize he was in over his head. Harry had lain on the bed the entire time and although he thrashed about and moaned, he had not woken up. He could sense that Harry's magic was working overtime to combat the complications that were developing due to his injuries but he didn't know what else he could do to help. The main problem seemed to be the high fever he was running and during the times it spiked, Harry thrashed worse than ever and even managed to utter a few words such as cup and crown.

Deep inside Harry's mind, the high fever enabled him to see the residue left over from whatever it was that Dobby had managed to rid him of. When his fever lowered, it allowed him time to process what he had seen if he didn't know what he was seeing. All he could tell was that it was something important to Voldemort and these things would have to be dealt with before Tom would leave him alone.

On the third day, Dobby knew that he could no longer do this alone and he started thinking about who he could trust to make Harry better. Dobby knew Harry didn't trust anyone in the castle but his mind kept going back to Madam Pomfrey and how she had always made Harry better. He laid a cold compress on Harry's head and poured yet another fever reducing potion down his throat. He then said "Master Harry, Dobby does all he knows to do. Dobby needs help making you better. Please forgive Dobby but Dobby goes and gets help."

Harry's head turned slightly towards Dobby and he gave a slight nod. Dobby reached out a grabbed Harry's hand. "Dobby be back soon." He stepped back and popped away.

He arrived in the Hogwarts infirmary with a louder pop than he wanted to but it couldn't be helped when he came through strong wards. The noise caught the attention of the witch who was sitting in a chair staring out the window. Dobby scampered over to her and pleaded "Nurse Poppy, Master needs your help."

"Who is your master?"

"Dobby heard you call him James' son. Dobby will not say his name here."

Her eyes bored into him when he said this. "Is he alright? No. of course he isn't. Can you tell me what is wrong with him?"

"Master be running high fever. Master's wounds won't stop weeping and Master's leg is turning dark."

"Oh Merlin. Please take me to him at once."

"Dobby cannot until Nurse Poppy swears that she won't turn Master over to Whiskers or anyone else. Dobby finds someone else if Nurse Poppy cannot do this."

She raised her wand immediately and said "I, Madam Poppy Pomfrey, swear to not reveal the location of Dobby's master to anyone and promise to do all in my power to heal him."

Dobby nodded "Nurse Poppy floo to wherever she wants outside of castle and call Dobby. Dobby come and take you to Master. Dobby needs to go check on Master." POP

Her wand never came down as she summoned her bag and then summoned everything she thought she might need into it. She stepped over to the floo and threw a pinch of powder into it. "William Holston, St. Mungos. Billy, are you there?"

"Hey Poppy. How are you today?"

"I'm sorry Billy but I don't have time to talk right now. I've got a family emergency and need someone to cover my ward for a few days. Can you send someone through?"

"Of course Poppy. I'll send someone right over. Give them a few minutes and you can leave your instructions."

"Thank you Billy. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary."

"With how many times you have helped us out, it's the least we can do. I hope things work out okay."

"Me too."

She pulled her head out of the floo and then threw another pinch in. She stuck her head back in and said "Minerva?"

"Yes Poppy? What's wrong?"

"I have a family emergency I need to tend to. I've already called Billy and he is sending someone over. I should only be gone for a few days."

Minerva could see potions and other equipment flying through the room and packing itself in her bag. From the looks of things, whatever the emergency was, it was pretty serious and judging by the way the normally unflappable Poppy was acting, this was something extremely important to her. It was then that she realized what was going on. "Alright Poppy, go do what you must. And Poppy?'

"Yes Minnie?"

"Just make sure he gets better."

Poppy looked at her for a second and nodded her head.

As soon as her head came out of the fireplace, the flames flashed green and a healer stepped through. "Billy, what are you doing here?"

"It sounded important so I came to cover your ward until someone else could get here."

"Thank you, nothing going on right now and there are no patients to tend to at the moment but that could change in a second."

He laughed "I know Poppy, my internship here is one of my fondest memories."

"That's just because you met Janice here. Now, I really do need to run."

She threw another pinch of floo powder into the fireplace and said "Leaky Cauldron."

When she stepped out of the floo, Tom greeted her "Morning Poppy, can I get you anything?"

She smiled "Not today Tom, just passing through."

She made her way to the back of the pub and tapped the bricks. Once she entered, she went to a deserted alley and called for Dobby. He popped in, grabbed her hand and popped right back out. Their arrival was fast so she knew they were close to Diagon Alley and from the appointments in the room, she knew she was in a muggle hotel, a decidedly upscale one too. Dobby led her to the bedroom and she winced at the smell that permeated the room.

She moved quickly and started removing the rest of the clothes that remained from the second task. She then started waving her wand to diagnose what all was wrong with the young man who had captured her heart just as much as his father had. The results were really bad and she knew she could have prevented most of this if he had just let her take care of him. She shook that thought from her head and went to work banishing the bandages and unpacking her bag.

Her biggest concern was the fever as all his magic was focused on fighting it and the infection that coursed through his body. She held out her hand and several vials floated to it which she quickly uncorked and started pouring down his throat. She knew that it would take time for the potions to work so she started looking at his wounds. The wound on his side was just as mangled and weepy as it had been days ago. The fact that it had not scabbed over spoke to her years of experience and pointed to some type of poison affecting it. She looked at his leg, the one that he had cauterized in the middle of the grounds and then thought back to the trident lying there. She knew that the mermen sometimes coated their tridents in a special poison to weaken their prey and inhibit their magic. It was evident that this was the case so she summoned a book and started narrowing down the possible toxin. With a wave of her wand, she determined the poison but realized she was not prepared for this.

She started writing something out on a piece of parchment and turned to Dobby. "I need you to go get this from the apothecary at once. Do you have any money?"

"Dobby can go get some if it is needed."

"No time." She waved her hand and a money pouch flew into it from her bag. She handed it to Dobby and added "Be quick about it."

Dobby nodded and popped off. He returned five minutes later handing her several vials and her money pouch. "Dobby goes and gets money."

"No, I need you here in case I need something else. There should be enough in there for now. You can get money later."

She uncorked both vials and poured both of them in at the same time. Harry started choking so she rubbed his throat to allow the potion to go down. She sat back as she needed to give the potions time to work before she could do anything else. She talked to him because she felt it calmed her and comforted him. "Those potions were to counteract the poison that was on the trident. It has a magic inhibiter that was not allowing your magic to repair what it could. I'm going to be doing a lot of things to you baby but I will do everything I can to put you back together."

She waited about ten minutes and then and a brown bottle flew into it. She levitated Harry up for a second as she laid a towel underneath him. When he was settled again, she rolled him on his side and began pouring the liquid from the brown bottle over the wound. When his body reacted to what she was doing, she softly said "Good old muggle hydrogen peroxide Harry. It works as good as a wand and doesn't interfere with the potions."

She took out her wand after the wound stopped foaming and sprayed water on it to rinse it clean. She repeated this five more times before the infection had been cleaned enough that the wound stopped bubbling under the effects of the peroxide. After the last rinsing, she saw that the wound was bleeding normally and started working to correct that problem. The damage was severe and during the attack, Harry had lost most of the muscle on that side of his chest along with his nipple and on his back, the shoulder blade was so damaged that she thought it best to vanish it and start over but that would have to wait for now.

It took her longer than expected to stop the bleeding but she soon had a salve patch in place that would allow new skin to grow quickly. If things went right, she should be able to rebuild his muscles but she would need something stronger than what she brought with her. As she examined him closer, she realized that the loss of the nipple was probably permanent which wouldn't be as tragic for him as it would have been for a girl. There would also be a permanent jagged scar where the teeth bit down and tore. If that was the worst of it, she thought they would both find the results acceptable. She wrapped a clean bandage around his torso and then forced a blood replenishing potion down his throat.

Knowing he had been without food for at least three days, she pulled out a nutrient potion and forced it down his throat as well. She looked at her watch and realized that she had been working on him for almost four hours and she could feel it. She smiled down at her charge and said "You know this is the easiest time I've ever had in giving you potions. I usually have to either chase you down or brow beat you into submission."

She looked down at the leg and noticed the darkened color had started fading but that wasn't good enough and those wounds were still left to be dealt with. Dobby appeared and handed her a glass of water. She thanked him and continued to work on Harry. It took her another three hours to be satisfied with the wound on his leg. As she examined it, it was obvious to her that if left uncorrected, the wounds would cause Harry problems for the rest of his life. She then did something she only did on rare occasions. She pulled out a scalpel and began to cut the damaged tissue out of his leg. She was amazed that he didn't move during the whole thing but she could see his eyes squeezed tightly shut. She softly said "It won't be much longer Harry. I'm almost done."

Once she was finished cutting, she poured a potion directly into the wounds. She said "This is a potion of my own creation. It'll work to repair the damage and hopefully give you full use of your leg. If it doesn't work then we will come up with other options. I can't have you not coming to see me because you can't ride your broom."

She worked on the leg for a bit longer before she wrapped it up in a bandage. When she was finished, she looked at her watch again and sighed. "I haven't had to work on someone that long in quite a while. We're done for now Harry but I promise you we will talk later about you not letting me help you in the first place. If your little friend had not came and got me, you would have been dead within two days. I won't have that ever again so you're going to explain everything to me so that I can help."

Dobby appeared in the room and led Poppy into the dining area where he had prepared a meal for her. "Dobby thanks you for helping Harry. Dobby sorry Dobby couldn't do better."

"You did what you needed to do Dobby and then you did an even braver thing by going against Harry's wishes and bringing me here. I want to thank you for doing that. I…I wasn't sleeping from worry for him."

"Dobby prepared a room for Nurse Poppy so she could stay close by. Dobby watch Harry while Nurse Poppy rests."

She ate her meal and then went to clean up. Once she was ready for bed, she checked Harry one last time and went to lie down for the night.

**LC**

All had been quiet for Billy as he manned the Hogwarts' infirmary until a Hufflepuff second year showed up right after dinner. When she saw the man standing there in healer's robes, the first thing that came out of her mouth was "Where's Madam Pomfrey?"

"She had a family emergency and had to leave suddenly. My staff from St. Mungos is going to take shifts until she can return. Is there anything I can help you with?"

She blushed and said "No thank you. I just wanted to talk to her but it can wait until she gets back."

Billy sat back and smiled as the girl hurried off. She ran all the way back to the Hufflepuff common room and was out of breath when she got there. She looked around and spotted Megan sitting in one of the arm chairs studying but didn't see Cedric anywhere. The girl ran up to Megan and was tying to talk and catch her breath at the same time. Finally she got out "Where's Cedric?"

Megan looked up at the girl and saw how red her face was and asked "What's wrong Jennifer, are you having an asthma attack?"

Jennifer waved her off. "No, I'm fine, just out of breath. Do you know where Cedric is?"

"I think he's in the library with Cho. Did something happen?"

"I just went to the infirmary for a headache potion and Madam Pomfrey is gone. Some man is there in healer robes and told me she had a family emergency and would be gone for a few days."

"Family emergency?"

"Yeah and I thought with the way she was acting after the second task that well…she's gone to help Harry."

Megan stood and said "Crap that means he's in worse shape than we thought. I've got to go tell Ced. Thanks Jennifer."

Megan bolted out the door and headed for the library. She made it through the hallways in record time and stopped to catch her breath at the library doors because she did not want to upset Madam Pince. She made her way inside and crept around until she found Cho and Cedric back at a corner table. Cho looked up and with a grin said "I thought tonight was my night."

Megan plopped down and said "I've got news."

Cedric leaned forward "Well?"

"Madam Pomfrey left the castle for a _family_ emergency."

Cedric said "You think she went to Harry?"

"That's my guess. You saw the way she was acting in the entrance hall. She kept crying about her James' son."

Cedric leaned back. "Well that could only mean that things got a lot worse and Dobby couldn't take care of it himself. Have you tried calling Dobby lately?"

"Not since they left. I knew he'd be busy."

"Give it another day then call for Dobby and see if he can give you any news. Damn I hate not knowing. It's been four days since he left but if she's with him, at least we know he's being taken care of."

**LC**

The next morning, news was spreading like wildfire that Madam Pomfrey had left the castle. Speculation about her family emergency was primarily centered on the idea that she went to help Harry Potter since most of them had witnessed her breakdown in the entrance hall. Everyone had seen the bloody mess that landed on the grounds and they all were witnesses to him removing the trident from his thigh. Most still winced thinking about it but if there was one underlying thought, it was relief that Harry would get the care he needed. Madam Pomfrey was known to never give up on a patient and they knew she wouldn't give up on the boy they had all pushed into this situation.

As soon as Albus heard the rumor, he approached Minerva. "Do you know anything about this?"

"All I know is what Poppy told me. Is she taking care of Mr. Potter? I don't know but I hope she is. Merlin knows we have all dropped the Quaffle when it comes to him."

"If he's off school grounds, that is a blatant violation of the rules and we will have to deal with that."

"Albus, that boy was in no shape to leave the school so if he did leave, it wasn't under his own power. If you are so hell bent on pushing the boy even further away then by all means expel him. I think he would thank you for it at this point."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own or claim any rights to Harry Potter or the characters previously seen in the books or movies.

AN: Thanks again for the reviews. This chapter is a little different so that I can take us in the direction we need to be going. I hope you enjoy as the next should lead into the third task.

Chapter 5

It was three days before Harry woke and when his eyes finally opened, Madam Pomfrey was sitting beside him. She smiled down at him and patted his cheek lovingly. "That's my boy. I was beginning to wonder if you were just going to stay in my care permanently and sleep your life away."

Harry's eyes grew wide and he looked around in panic. She softly said "Relax Harry. You are not at Hogwarts. Dobby came and got me when you took a turn for the worse. You have a very faithful and loyal friend in Dobby who has been agonizing over what you would say to him when you woke up. He has made some broth for you so we can get something besides potions in your stomach."

Harry gave her a small nod.

Still in her soft voice she said "I want you to know that you hurt me terribly when you refused to let me care for you so we will be having a talk before I leave where you will answer my questions and try to help me understand why you felt you needed to run away. I feel I've at least earned the right to an explanation."

Harry reached out and lightly took her hand. In a very gruff and unused voice, he said "It wasn't you Madam Pomfrey. I can't protect myself there. I…it's hard to explain but I will try to tell you what I can."

She nodded and then asked "So, what do you want first? The good, the bad, or the ugly?"

He smiled up at her and said "Well I'm awake and alive so I'll take that as a good start. Just start with the good and work your way down. I'd hate to ruin your good news by moping over the bad."

"Well, the good news is that you'll still be able to play Quidditch." She noticed his frown at that but decided to leave that part for later. She knew this young man well and it would have to figure into his radical actions somehow.

"You'll also make an almost complete recovery but it will take some time. The damage done was pretty bad but not untreatable. The problem was that along with the injuries, there were other things going on that made the situation much more difficult. If Dobby had waited another day or two, we probably wouldn't be talking right now. At the moment, you still have severe tissue damage around your torso. I managed to repair your leg completely but I'm going to need some help and better potions to fix the rest."

He smiled up at her. "Madam Pomfrey…"

"Poppy, all my boys call me Poppy."

"Okay, well Poppy, the fact that I'm alive probably means we should be celebrating. When Viktor bit me, he shook me like a dog with a new chew toy. I could feel him ripping me apart so the trident stuck in my leg was not so bad. By my guess, the mermen probably saved my life even if they did stab me with the trident."

"Yes they did. They are quite upset with what happened and are afraid of what you might do to them for it."

He laughed and said "No, I'd rather find something they like and rarely get and buy them a whole bunch of it to show my appreciation for their efforts. If it hadn't been for them, I would have never made it out of the water."

She chuckled "I once read an author who said they like chunky peanut butter. According to him, they find it heavenly. I'll lend it to you while you recover."

"Dobby?"

He appeared but acted as if he was afraid. "Thank you Dobby. You're good elf and a good friend. There will be no punishment for getting Poppy to come help."

Poppy looked at him strange and said "You speak of punishment when he saved your life."

He shot her a glare. "Poppy, I think I know Dobby better than you and he was looking for a way to go close his head in the oven door for disobeying my orders. Instead of punishment, I think I will assign some more work to you. Get some money and go buy fifty cases of chunky peanut butter. I then want you to deliver it to the merpeople of Black Lake. If you cannot speak with them, go ask Myrtle in the second floor girls' bathroom. I think she can communicate with them enough to tell them I said thank you for saving me from certain death. While you are at Hogwarts, you will contact Cedric or Megan and tell them I am recovering but am alive. If they ask, you can tell them Poppy is with me."

"Yes Harry Sir, thank you Harry Sir." With a loud pop, Dobby was gone.

**LC**

As Poppy fed Harry his broth, the conversation turned to Harry and his reasons for running away from her. After she informed him that she had given Dobby her oath not to betray him, he began to tell his tale starting with life on Privet Dr. He then worked his way up through the years at Hogwarts which she had seen for herself and always ended up dealing with the results. The conversation then turned to this year and everything he had been put through. How his friends and even the staff had treated him so badly that he finally just went into hiding to escape the harassment. He talked of how betrayed he felt that his own head of house wouldn't stand up for him or protect him in any way and how her outburst during class one day had been the final straw that saw any respect he once had for her vanish completely. He talked of Christmas and going to Gringotts and finding out that Albus effectively blocked any chance he had at gaining any measure of control over his own life. He talked of sending Dobby to the Gnomes and then the gift of hope he received in return. As he ended the tale, she was in tears and understood his reactions.

It then came time for her confession. "Harry, there is something I have been dying to tell you for four years but have been ordered not to do so. You see, your grandmother, Dorea, and I were especially close during school. While we both went into healing, she eventually left the program to marry your grandfather. And while I had my fair share of suitors, I felt a stronger calling into healing and never stopped to marry or have a family. I delivered your father and upon his birth was rewarded with the gift of being his godmother. It was then that I finally had the family that I always wanted but never took the time to have. When James came to Hogwarts, it was like having my own child around and made me realize just what I had missed out on. Of course he was a little scamp much like his son but I loved him dearly. Just as I do you. Albus forbade everyone from talking to you about your family and it was especially hard on Minerva and me. It's not my story to tell but Minerva was more than just a teacher to both your parents."

He looked at her with wide eyes as she continued. "So you came to Hogwarts and I could tell that things were not quite right but I couldn't do anything about it or Albus would have me dismissed from the staff. So many times I wanted to tell you everything but I kept silent so I could stay close to you and protect you the only way I could."

"You were my only connection to James and once you graduated, I was planning to retire with the offer to take care of your family as it grew. I know this may not make much sense because I'm babbling but I want you to know that I believe everything you've told me. I also believe that Lily was smart enough to do what she did. I'm just sorry it took this long for you to find out everything."

"It's okay Poppy, I'm still having trouble with some of it but I can understand the decision you made. The one I'm having the most trouble with is Aunt Minnie."

Poppy gasped. He looked up and said "Yes, I have seen my parents will and I know exactly who she is to me. The way she acted towards me is the main reason why I didn't come with you even when I knew it would be for the best. I'm trying so hard to stay out from under Dumbledore's thumb and if I had gone to the infirmary, he would have used my injuries to once again try to gain control over me. I would have already left Hogwarts but the magical contract of the tournament is effectively keeping me tied to the school for now. Now that I've researched contracts, I know that I could have walked away anytime until I did the first task but once I did, I was locked in and whoever put my name in was off the hook. I just keep telling myself that I only have to make it a little bit longer and I'll be free of his control. And even with everyone else against me, knowing this makes me feel better and freer than I ever have."

"The entire castle isn't against you anymore Harry. Many have seen the error of their ways. Your former friends are looking pitiful but I think it's because your lady friend is giving them the devil every chance she gets."

Harry looked at her questionably. Poppy said "Miss Jones reminds me of your mother in some ways. She is fiercely loyal to those she cares about and it's pretty obvious she cares a lot for you. I don't think it was intentional but before I came here, Miss Delacour said something that upset her and it was too much for her to take. She ended up cowing the French champion and at the same time, wreaked havoc amongst your housemates. From the account I heard, Miss Weasley ran from the Great Hall in tears. If she cares that much for you and if you share her feelings, don't let her get away. Once James caught Lily, he was on top of the world and nothing could bring him down. Now, if you'll allow an old lady to be nosy, do you love her?"

He thought for a minute. "I don't really know. I've never had a girlfriend before so I don't have something to judge it by. I've had the love of friends and she is definitely that. My feelings towards Hermione were changing before all this started and it felt different. How do you really know?"

She smiled down at him. "Well, how often do you think about her? What do you feel when you are together? What do you feel when you're apart? If you can answer those questions, I think we can get a better idea"

"Hmm…well, I miss her when were not together and look forward to when I can see her again. We always have a good time when we're together and she's easy to talk to and seems to understand stuff. As far as thinking about her, pretty much all the time but it's more along the lines of Meg would think that's funny or I wish she was here so she could explain it to me."

"Sounds to me like you've come to rely on her much like you did Miss Granger."

"I'd ask her to be my girlfriend but I don't want her to have to go through all the trouble that it would cause. I mean, who would want to be with someone who has all this drama in his life."

"Well, you can't schedule your life around the crap that happens in it. If you care for her then you need to show her and not make her wait. As long as you two are happy then that is all that matters so don't worry about what the rest of the castle says or thinks."

"So my great god mum is giving me relationship advice?"

"Well, yes! You know your father was incredibly thick in this area as well until I straightened him out. Besides, I think she could help you in more ways than you think."

"I'll think about it."

She frowned at his statement but then became a little nervous. "Now that you know I won't betray you, I want you to come back to Hogwarts with me. Before you say anything, there is a second room off my personal quarters that I can convert for you and no one will ever know you are there."

"I don't…."

"This isn't up for discussion anymore Harry. The potions I used have helped but we have a lot more to do before you are back to your old self."

He smirked "Are you going to give me a new nipple as well? It felt good when I rubbed it and I'll miss that."

She chuckled at his light hearted approach. "Merlin you act just like your father sometimes. I'm sorry baby but there only so much we can do. I can rebuild the muscles but I'm afraid that's gone for good."

He sulked "Well I hope he got indigestion from it. When would we need to make this decision?"

"I need to return to my duties so it would need to be quick. The sooner we start, the sooner you can get back to normal and out of my hair. You might be able to be back on a broom before long."

He perked up at hearing that. "How about this, you go back tomorrow morning and get the room ready and then Dobby can bring me the next day. Let's say during breakfast while everyone is busy. Um…Poppy? Will Megan and Cedric be able to visit me?"

She smiled at him and said "I'm sure we can work something out dear. At worst, Dobby can pop them straight into the room so no one gets suspicious." (She paused to look at him.) "I'm really surprised you agreed to it so easily. It's not everyday that you willingly place yourself in my care."

"Well, I've thought about it and I feel I kind of owe you for running off and upsetting you. Besides that, I trust you to do what you say you will. Dobby will be with me so he can always pop me to another location in the castle if they search your ward."

"Yes, there is that. But don't expect me to baby you like I've done here. It just wouldn't be proper in front of the other students."

He pouted at her. "But I love _this_ Poppy. Why can't I keep her?"

She laughed and replied "You can, as soon as you graduate."

"Speaking of that, since I'm going to be locked up for a while, I was thinking that maybe Dobby could get the fifth year books for me to study."

She caught where Harry was going and said "If you can get through them, Griselda Marshbanks owes me a few favors. We might get you tested for OWLS over the summer. If you were to do well, you could walk away from Hogwarts on your birthday and never come back."

"Something else you need to know, when Dobby bonded with me, he said he sensed things wrong with my magic and took it upon himself to fix the problem. Ever since then, my mind has been clearer and I can touch my magic easier. Without Ron and Hermione's distraction and even with the tournament taking a lot of my time, I've already finished this year's books and I think I could take my year end tests now. It's not like I'll be attending any classes for the rest of the year so if I use my time to study next year's stuff, I think I can pull it off."

"I'll make some inquiries when we get back and see what we need to do." She then reached over to the nightstand and handed him a stack of letters. "These came for you while you were out. They look to be from Gringotts judging by the seal on them."

Harry's demeanor darkened as he thought about his last visit with the Goblins. He opened one and began to read.

_Mr. Potter,_

_We at Gringotts would like to offer our apologies for the events that occurred during our last meeting. We also request that you return to our institution so that we can further discuss this matter and try to come to a mutually beneficial arrangement concerning your accounts. We can acknowledge the fact that you were upset with us that day but walking out is no way to keep a good working relationship. We have tried numerous times to contact you since that meeting and every letter has been returned unopened. _

_We feel that it is not in the best interests of either of us if you won't discuss the matter further. I would like to once again request your presence here. No appointment is necessary as we are here to serve you at your earliest convenience._

_Bearclaw_

The letter did nothing to soothe the bad feelings he had towards the Goblins. In fact, it just solidified his position towards them. Harry handed the letter to Poppy and her anger rose at what she read.

"Why those tiny little con men. I've never read such a condescending letter in my life. He makes out like the whole thing was your fault."

Harry just gave her an evil grin and asked for a piece of parchment. She sat there as he started writing.

_Bearclaw,_

_Your last letter just reinforced my desire to cut all ties with your institution. I don't know where you learned your business practices from but from where I come from, the fact that it's my money in your bank makes my wishes take precedence above yours in this matter. The fact that you still think we have any kind of working relationship is laughable. There will come a day when House Potter makes a very public break with Gringotts and I hope you are prepared for the fallout from your actions._

_Harry James Potter_

Harry handed Poppy the letter to read and once she did, she gave him a questioning look. He only replied "If you have money in Gringotts, I'd suggest you move it to the Gnomes before July. The Goblins will probably close their doors once I'm through with them."

She looked at him with wide eyes before nodding her head. He called for Dobby and handed him the letter. "Take this letter to Bearclaw and then put up those mail wards again."

"Dobby already did it. Dobby sorry he didn't hide Harry."

"That's okay Dobby; you were pretty busy at the time."

Poppy asked "How come those letters reached you here? According to them, they have been sending you letters since Christmas. You should have received them while at the school."

Harry smirked "According to Dobby, Dumbledore has wards on Hogwarts and Privet Dr that only allow letters from certain people to reach me. Any others are turned away."

Poppy exclaimed "That's illegal!"

"Just add it to the list. It seems Dumbledore gets away with whatever he wants when it concerns me."

**LC**

Poppy stepped out of the floo and into her infirmary only to see the smiling face of Billy Holston. She smiled and said "You stayed here the whole time didn't you?"

"Of course Poppy, I couldn't trust your ward to just anybody. Besides, it gave me an excuse to get out of the hospital for a few days. Did everything go okay?"

"Yes, thank you. It was pretty bad at first but I managed to take care of it. Is there anything you need to make me aware of?"

He smiled "Well, evidently you are more popular than ever. I don't know how many times the door opened and a student popped their head in to see if you were here and when they saw me, they left. I'm starting to feel like they don't trust me. Also, Minerva came to check on me several times a day for no reason and Albus came by not long after you left and demanded I tell him where you went and how to get in contact with you. Is there something going on that I should know about?"

"Thank you Billy but I think I've got it under control. I do want to thank you for your help and I promise you that you'll be the first person I call if I need anything. The situation is…delicate and the patient needed certain assurances."

Billy eyed her for a minute before saying "I trust you enough to know better than to ask anymore. If there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to call."

Poppy looked down for a second. "There is something. I need some high powered musculus potions and salve. I could also use some strong skele-gro."

It took a minute before the realization set in. He had been in the castle long enough to get a fairly good idea of the extensive damage Harry had suffered during the second task. He nodded his head. "I'll send it immediately with your normal supplies. If you need any help with the subject, you can count on me. Just so you know there's a rumor going around that you left to take care of Harry Potter."

She looked at hi for a second before replying "Thank you Billy, now would you do me the honor of escorting me to breakfast so I can start the tongues wagging again?"

"Gladly." He offered his elbow which she took as they made their way to the Great Hall. Since breakfast had already started, they didn't pass any students in the hallways and as soon as they opened the door and stepped in, the whole place went silent.

Poppy chuckled at the response and then said "Nice to know I was missed. Now Billy let's go sit so you can tell me what the little miscreants have been up to in my absence?"

As they sat at the head table, Albus turned to her and said "I hope everything worked out to your satisfaction Poppy. We were quite concerned when you ran off they way you did."

"Yes Albus, things are better now which enabled me to come back and resume my duties."

"May I ask what the emergency was?"

"Oh I'm sorry Albus, I didn't realize family issues were a normal topic of conversation but if you must know, my sister's grandson got into something he shouldn't have and it resulted in a bad infection along with a high fever. It was critical for a little while but I think things are well in hand now."

Albus looked at her for a minute before saying "My apologies Poppy, it was not my intent to discuss family matters in public. I'm happy things worked out but with the tournament here, I wish you would have informed me before you left."

"I'll remember that next time I have a family member in critical condition. I don't think I neglected my duties since Billy came and covered for me. Surely you don't mean to suggest that he's not qualified?"

"Of course not, I just like to know where my people are in case I need them."

Minerva was watching the whole conversation but kept her tongue. She had been thinking about these past few years and was quite disappointed in herself. Her actions had probably sealed the fate of her relationship with Harry and she could only hope that he would forgive her one day. No, she realized that she had dug her own grave with Harry and just hoped it wouldn't turn out to be literally.

**LC**

While Poppy was sitting with Harry in the hotel, Cedric Diggory made good on his promise to speak out on the injustices that had been visited upon Harry during the tournament. He had contacted his father and the very next night during dinner, Lords Diggory and Jones made there way into the Great Hall. Upon seeing them, Albus paled but asked "Lords Diggory and Jones, to what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?"

Lord Jones said "Lord Diggory and I have come to retrieve our heirs. We have some family business that needs to be discussed tonight. We will return them before curfew."

Albus replied "Of course, family business. I hope that this doesn't become a common occurrence for you to take two of my students and disrupt their schedules. But I will abide by your wishes."

Amos Diggory responded "They may be your students but they are our children and heirs. As such, family business supersedes your wishes in this matter and quite frankly, you are close to the point of exceeding your authority."

"Yes, of course, I was merely concerned at disrupting their lives. I would never presume to keep your heirs from you."

Lord Jones turned and said "Cedric, Megan, you need to come with us. We have some family matters to discuss."

Cedric and Megan stood and followed their fathers out of the Great Hall. As they walked, Megan started to ask something but was waved off by her father and not a word was spoken until they passed the school gate. Amos Diggory and Reginald Jones stopped and held out an arm. Amos said "Grab hold. We've got someone who'd like to talk to you both."

The kids grabbed their dad's arms and apparated away. From up in the castle, Albus had left his seat in the Great Hall and watched as they walked across the grounds and out of the gate. He had a bad feeling that things were going to start getting worse than they already were. Both the Diggory and Jones families were light sided but tended to be less so than the others. For them, the rule of law spoke more loudly to them than the differences between light and dark. Both men were staunch fighters of injustice and would put every bit of their political weight and efforts into seeing wrongs righted. He wasn't naïve enough to not think that this 'family' business was about none other than Harry Potter. He was lost in thought and headed for his office completely forgetting about his dinner. He needed to find the boy and find him fast.

Cedric and Megan were apparated to Jones Manor where they found Cecelia Diggory and Kathleen Jones waiting for them. After hugs were exchanged, they were led into the sitting room where two more people were waiting for them. Megan saw the woman and ran over to hug her. "Aunt Hestia, I didn't know you'd be here. It's so good to see you."

Hestia kissed Megan on the forehead. "I had to see my favorite niece and find out if your mother was right and you really do have a boyfriend that made it past Cedric."

Megan blushed. "He's not my boyfriend. He's just a really good friend."

"Judging by that blush I'd say that you wouldn't say no if he asked."

Cedric laughed and added. "I don't think she's going to give him the chance whenever he shows back up."

Reginald said "I'd like to meet the lad before that happens. Now, we are here for a reason so I'd suggest we get down to business. Kids, I'd like you to meet Barry Timmons. He's an old classmate of mine that works as a reporter for the Daily Prophet."

Cedric and Megan both scoffed when he said Daily Prophet. Barry held up his hands and said "I understand your reactions. I don't agree with what Rita has written either but I promise you that I will print exactly what you say."

Cedric snarled "If there is anything written that hurts Harry any more, I promise you I will hunt you down. He doesn't deserve any of the crap that has been printed about him."

Amos grinned in pride at his son. He finally said "Its okay son, he's on our side."

Cedric looked at his father for a minute before nodding. "Well Mr. Timmons, the worst of it started on Halloween…."

**LC**

As promised, Harry was brought to the gates of Hogwarts where he was levitated through the gates before Dobby once again grabbed him and popped him into Poppy's quarters. She looked up and said "It was a good thing I was dressed. I would hate to see you scarred even more."

Harry smiled and replied "Oh, Poppy, if I was a lot older or you were a lot younger, you wouldn't be so worried about that. But I think my girlfriend might not like that."

She grinned broadly. "So you're going to ask her?"

"Yes Ma'am. You made a lot of sense and I thought I'd ask her as soon as I see her again if she doesn't kill me first."

"And ruin all my good work? I wouldn't allow that."

She walked over to a door and pushed it open. As she led Dobby with Harry to the bed, she said "It's not as nice as where we were but it should allow privacy. I should be getting those potions today so I will allow a quick visit before I put you back to sleep to let them do their work."

Harry groaned. "I've slept enough these last few days."

She sighed "Harry, you'll be glad you're asleep. This potion will make regrowing the bones in your arm seem like a walk in the park. Not only will it fix your shoulder but it will go through and fix any weaknesses in your bones. So it won't only be your shoulder hurting. After that potion has done its work, I will be giving you the musculus potion and start repairing your muscles. It will do the same thing that the super skele-gro will do and will fix any problems all throughout your body."

"So you're going to rebuild my whole body?"

"In a way yes. This potion is not widely known as it is based on muggle knowledge. What it does is react with your DNA and put your body the way it was supposed to be."

"Wow, I'm impressed that someone in the magical world actually pays attention to the muggle one. With everything that is going on, is it wise to change me too much?"

"I've thought of that and it won't work that fast. It will repair the damage and get you back up and around but the changes will happen over the course of months so it won't be anything sudden. Do you know anything about growth hormones?"

"Not really."

"Without going into detail, they basically stimulate growth in a young person who is not growing properly. This potion will do the same after it corrects the damage so you will need to eat properly and get a lot of rest. I imagine I will be looking up at you by the end of the summer."

"Well if that's the case, let's do it. We should be free of them by the end of summer. Um…how long will I be out?"

"At least for a few days. At the most, I'd say a week."

"Okay, I'd like to see Megan and Cedric before you put me out and then I will do it without any complaints."

She grinned "In a hurry to ask her?"

"No, just want to do it before I lose my nerve. What if she doesn't see me that way?"

"Then she doesn't. Now that you are all settled, I'm going down to breakfast. Have Dobby go get you something from the kitchens and I'll see if I can find your young lady while I'm out."

**LC**

When she made it to the Great Hall, she glanced at the Hufflepuff table and noticed that Megan and Cedric were not there. She sat beside Professor Sprout at the head table and after they greeted each other Poppy asked "I don't see Mr. Diggory this morning. I trust that he is feeling fine and having no ill effects from his last task. You know how young men are in their willingness to come see me."

"Oh no my dear. Lords Jones and Diggory came into the Great Hall during dinner yesterday and took them home stating they had pressing family business. I received an owl from them last night saying their business took longer than expected and that they would return by lunch today." She then leaned over and whispered "My guess would be that Cedric is making good on his threat to Albus. I guess we will see in the paper soon."

Poppy said "If you wouldn't mind, tell Mr. Diggory that I'd like to do a follow up on him to make sure everything is fine. You might as well tell him to bring along Miss Chang as I'd like to check her over as well."

Minerva overheard this and asked "Will you need to see Miss Weasley?"

"Yes, most definitely. Just tell her to come whenever she has time today or tomorrow. (She wiped a fake tear from her eye.) I just wish I could do the same for Mr. Potter."

**LC**

That evening after dinner, the entire contingent of Hogwarts' students that were involved in the second task was in the infirmary waiting to be checked. Cedric brought Cho who in turn brought Mandy and as she had nothing better to do, Megan tagged along. Ginny was escorted there by the twins as they knew they couldn't rely on Ron to do anything responsible.

As soon as they stepped into the infirmary, the tension in the room shot up as they received glares from three of the four other students. With the harsh glares being thrown at them, Ginny quickly moved behind her brothers and said "Come on, we can come back later."

George shook his head and said "Cedric, we've known each other for a long time. We know we screwed up with Harry and there's not a day that goes by that we don't regret it. If there were any way to fix it we would but he won't even give us a chance."

Cedric gave them a look before replying "Do you blame him? He thought of you as his older brothers and he trusted you. In his eyes, you wadded up that trust and threw it in his face. How would you act if he had done it to you?"

George looked down as Fred said "We probably would have pranked the crap out of him and then never had anything to do with him again."

Megan said "So because its only little orphaned Harry, everyone expects him to just take it and then welcome you back whenever you feel like accepting him again. That sounds a lot like your idiot brother talking."

They both flushed at the comment but didn't say anything. Megan looked at Cedric and said "I think I'll wait outside, it's starting to smell like rat in here."

Ginny's eyes grew wide at what she heard as Cho and Mandy were looking back and forth trying to figure out just what was being said. Cedric caught Ginny's expression and said "In case you didn't catch that, Harry places you in the same category as Scabbers and he has learned from his father's mistakes and swears he won't repeat it."

Madam Pomfrey came out to see the Weasley twins with the most somber expressions on their faces that she has ever seen. Poppy knew everything that went on in her ward and was aware of the words that had just been spoken. She stepped up to Ginny and said "Why don't we start with you?"

She waved her wand and ran a quick diagnostic on her and found nothing wrong. She smiled and said "See that was easy enough. Miss Weasley, you are free to go as you are perfectly fine."

The three Weasleys sighed in relief and headed for the exit. As they entered the hallway, Ginny saw Megan and despite her brothers' urges, she stepped over to her. "Whenever you see Harry again, tell him I am sorry for everything. I know there's nothing I can ever do to regain his trust but I just want him to know that if he ever needs anything from me, I will be there."

Megan looked up and replied "I will give him the message. Can I ask a question?"

Ginny nodded.

Megan softly said "I'm not saying this to upset you but I want you to look at it from Harry's point of view. You're coming to me now offering Harry your help. Where were you when he was all alone and he needed the people he thought of as family to be there for him?"

Ginny softly said "I owe him more than anyone but I was too afraid to stand up for him. I'm just a third year. Nobody listens to me."

Megan scoffed "What would Harry have done?"

George sadly said "He would have fought the world to protect us."

Megan nodded her head and stood to walk back into the infirmary just as Madam Pomfrey was finishing with Mandy. Poppy checked Cho over next and upon pronouncing her fine said "Miss Chang, would you escort Miss Brocklehurst back to your dorms, I will need to do a more thorough check up on Mr. Diggory as he wasn't under the effects of a hibernation charm while he was in the water.

Cho replied "Yes, of course Madam Pomfrey." She stepped over to Cedric and gave him a kiss on the cheek before leading Mandy out and into the hall.

Cedric and Megan looked at her warily as she smiled at the both of them. "Now that all that is out of the way, I need you to follow me."

Cedric asked "What no check up?"

Poppy smirked "If you had your heart set on it, I'm sure I could make the time to give you a complete diagnostic."

Cedric paled. "No thank you Madam Pomfrey. I feel fine."

Cedric and Megan shared a glance at each other and with shrugged shoulders followed Poppy into her quarters. Once she closed the outside door, another door appeared on the far wall. She said "I am trusting you with a very precious secret. If you were to betray this trust, I will personally hunt you down and use every bit of my knowledge to make your life a living hell."

They both gulped as they looked at the normally stern but sweet healer. In the end, she smiled and said "Not that I have to worry about that."

She opened the door and said "You have company."

Megan's eyes grew wide and she burst through the door. As she saw Harry lying on the bed, she moved like lightning and was immediately beside him and trying to wrap him in a hug. Poppy had to admonish her to not be too rough with her patient as he was still fragile. It took all of a second before Megan had her lips planted firmly on Harry's. She started talking a mile a minute and saying "We were so scared and worried. Don't you ever do something like that again! What the hell were you thinking?"

Harry smiled sheepishly up at her. "Megs, um…I know everything we've talked about but a wise lady told me I was an idiot so I need to ask you something?"

She snarled out. "Well, what is it?"

"Well, I was hoping that maybe you would you know…um…go out with me?"

She smiled "Are you asking me out on a date?"

He frowned "Not really since I've been told I'm going to be asleep for a while."

She frowned in return. "Then what are you asking?"

"Well, I was hoping that…you know…um…you would…um…bemygirlfriend."

"WHAT?"

Cedric was laughing in the background. He knew it really wasn't funny but just seeing Harry again had lifted his spirits a lot. He knew there were things they needed to talk about before Madam Pomfrey started working on Harry again but he was enjoying the show that two of his favorite people were giving him. He finally chuckled out "Geez Megan, he's asking you to be his girlfriend, go steady, you know, only snog him."

She growled back at Cedric "I know that you idiot. I just wanted him to say it to where I could actually hear the words instead of his mumbling."

Harry groaned "Merlin Megan, would you be my girlfriend and all that stuff he said?"

She turned around sweetly and kissed his lips again. "Of course I will. See that wasn't so hard now was it. It's not like you were asking me to marry you or something."

Poppy was holding her sides from the laughter and finally said "I know you three have a lot to talk about so I will give you an hour as that is how much time there is before curfew. Later tonight, I will be putting Harry back to sleep to undergo more treatment and I will let you know when he awakens."

Megan asked "Madam Pomfrey, could I sit with my boyfriend while he is here? I know he will be asleep but I could do my homework and it would give Cedric and Cho and chance to have some alone time without me around."

"That'd be nice dear as it will also give Dobby and me a break."

She walked out and left them to talk. They told him about all the happenings in the castle since he left and about the scoring of the second task along with Cedric's reactions. Harry grew a little upset when he was told that Krum wasn't penalized in any way for his attack and gave an evil grin when Cedric told him it wasn't against the rules to attack a fellow champion.

Cedric then decided to regale Harry with Megan's campaign of pain against Harry's former friends. As much as he would have liked to laugh at the situation, it just wasn't in Harry to do that and for a brief moment, a flash of pain passed across his face. Megan saw it and regretted it immediately as she thought she had hurt him. He reached out and grabbed her hand and gave her a small smile.

"Thanks, it just still hurts you know."

She leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "I know and I wish it didn't. I guess that's what made me so mad. They couldn't see just how much they hurt you."

None of them wanted to go down that path right now so Cedric said "Wait till you hear about the interview."

It wasn't long before Poppy stuck her head back in the door and said that their tie was up. Megan gave him a quick kiss goodbye before saying "I'll try to be here when you wake up."

Cedric grabbed his hand and said "I'm sorry if I overstepped but I think all the crap surrounding you has gone on long enough. Our dads jumped in and are trying to help as well. It will come to a point where you're going to have to trust them and me and let us help you. It might even come to where you need to go under our protection."

Harry smiled up and replied "I trust you Cedric and know you are only trying to help. I'm sure you didn't do anything that will mess up my plans and you might have helped by creating an even bigger diversion. As far as everything else, I'm going to need someone to teach me how to run the Potter family so I'm hoping you guys would do that for me."

Cedric gave him a smile. "I think they would like that but we'll worry about it later. We will talk when this is over and it may mean you have to make some decisions but we will help you with it. Right now, you just need to concentrate on getting better."

As soon as they were gone, Poppy approached him with two vials in her hand. She handed him the first and said "That'll make you sleep until I decide it's time to wake you."

He looked at the vial for a minute before turning it up and draining it. He sighed "Goodnight Poppy. I'll see you whenever."

She chuckled and said "Oh don't be so melodramatic. It won't be long before the new and improved Harry is up causing trouble again.'

He gave her a grin as he drifted off. She poured the other vial down his throat and sat down as the potion entered his system. It wasn't long before she noticed him wince as the potion went to work. She leaned over and placed a kiss on his forehead and went back into her chambers.

**LC**

The next morning, the Great Hall was silent as everyone was intently reading their copies of the Daily Prophet over breakfast. All throughout the hall, there were many people who were carrying a look of shame on their faces and knew that once this was read, their little worlds were going to be a little less comfortable. It didn't help that the headline was enough to draw everyone in but what was printed in the article would be felt by quite a few families.

_The Boy Who Lied_

_By: Barry Timmons_

_As most of you are well aware our very own Harry Potter also known as the boy-who-lived was unusually selected as a fourth champion in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I know most of my readers would be supportive of Mr. Potter in his efforts in this tournament but that's not the case with his fellow Hogwartians. For most of the students and staff of Hogwarts, the boy-who-lived is now known as the boy-who-lied and has become an outcast in the school._

_On Halloween, Mr. Potter's name came out of the Goblet of Fire therefore making him a champion. A question that could be raised is how the Tri- Wizard Tournament, obviously known to be a competition between three witches or wizards and their schools, became a four way contest. I'm no expert but it sounds like there was obvious tampering going on with an ancient magical artifact and if I can see this, how come our esteemed Chief Warlock and Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, did not recognize the signs. He is considered one of the wisest wizards in our society so how did he miss it or did he?_

_Mr. Potter has maintained that he did not place his name in the goblet or have an older student do it for him from the exact moment that he rose from the table when his name was called. His protests were ignored and he was told in no uncertain terms that he had to compete or else he risked losing his magic. According to ministry records, Albus Dumbledore has been acting as Mr. Potter's magical guardian even since that fateful Halloween in 1981 and in that capacity; he could have prevented this whole situation. My question is why would he allow it if he was supposedly acting in the young Potter's best interest._

_From what I have learned today, most of the articles written about the Tri-Wizard Tournament have been based on speculation and hearsay. In fact, the only people who would speak about the tournament were other Hogwarts' students who were only mere spectators to the events that occurred and were very opinionated against Mr. Potter before he had ever been chosen as a champion. _

_That, my readers, has changed! In an exclusive interview, Cedric Diggory has spoken out on the issue and the tribulations that Mr. Potter has suffered ever since Halloween. When asked his opinions on Mr. Potter, Mr. Diggory had this to say:_

"_Before this year, Harry Potter and I were just acquaintances and competitive seekers in Quidditch and that was about as far as it went. I already knew him as a relentless but fair competitor but as I have gotten to know him better this year, I find that he is probably the most honorable and noble person I have ever met."_

"_If there is one thing I have learned, he doesn't lie or cheat. I can admit I was a little upset at him during the selection ceremony but I approached him afterwards and was able to talk to him for a few minutes. At that time, he offered me an oath swearing that he never entered and even went as far as saying he would support me as I was the true Hogwarts' champion. As we walked away from each other that night, I had no idea that these troubles were just the start of things to come."_

_I asked "What do you mean?"_

"_From what I understand, as soon as he returned to the Gryffindor common room, he was confronted by his 'best' friend who called him a liar and a cheat as the rest of the house just sat there and followed along. One by one, all of Harry's friends deserted him and left him with no support as he tried to compete in a tournament that was designed for wizards and witches who were of age."_

"_So the Gryffindors abandoned him?"_

_Mr. Diggory gave a short laugh before he told me "You could say that but it just wasn't the Gryffindors. Over the course of the next month, Harry was pushed further away by everyone in the school including the staff. I even begged my own house to see reason and give Harry a break but I'm sorry to say they wouldn't listen. It wasn't long before Harry just started shutting everyone out. He quit going to class because he was tired of being mistreated and disrespected everyone especially the teachers. I guess I have been lucky that I could always talk with my head of house Professor Sprout but it really bothered me that he needed help and yet his own head of house refused to do anything for him but I guess that shouldn't have surprised me as no one else did either." _

_So Mr. Potter was abandoned and left to flounder along?'_

_Mr. Diggory's close friend, Megan Jones, was sitting through the interview and had this to say "Harry was thrown to the wolves and every single person who had supported him in the past turned their backs on him. Professors, friends, family, you name it. (This reporter notices her staring at Mr. Diggory for a minute before he nodded his head. Her father, Lord Jones, came up and laid his hand on her shoulder and said 'Say your piece Megan.') Harry made two friends when he came to Hogwarts who were Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Mr. Weasley was the one who called him a liar and a cheat and led the other Gryffs into turning their backs on Harry. Miss Granger couldn't take the pressure and after a week, she walked away from Harry too. It wasn't until Harry performed brilliantly during the first task when they tried to make up. It was evident to me that they were opportunists who realized they wouldn't stand out without Harry's spotlight shining on them."_

_I watched as Miss Jones stopped at this point and took a deep breath. There was obviously an issue that she wanted to discuss but was hesitant to do so. When I pressed her on the matter, she finally said "Harry is a very selfless person who would do anything for someone he thinks of as a friend or family. Harry became very attached to the Weasley family early on and then this year, four of their children withdrew their support of him. It devastated Harry and now I think he feels like a fool for risking his life to save one of theirs. I also know that he did the same for Miss Granger in our first year and had strong feelings for her until she turned her back on him."_

_Mr. Diggory added "What amazes me is that our parents have taught us that family honor and debts are never to be taken lightly. I don't owe Harry a debt but my honor requires me to speak out for him. Our biggest question is why are we the only ones? There are some old family alliances with the Potters that have been in place for centuries. Why aren't the Longbottom or Bones family standing up for or with the young Potter? Why are two families that have always been friendly with the Potters but not allied having to do this? When Harry becomes of age, I'd hate to think what will happen to the old family alliances because if it was me, I'd declare breach of trust and require restitution. Megan talked to the Bones Heiress about it one day and she basically said that he wouldn't care about stuff that happened during school. I think I know Harry a little better that she does and I can say this, those who have treated him bad and broken his trust will never be able to get it back."_

_This reporter sat there listening and the only thought that went through my mind was that there would be a shift in the balance of power in a few years... I finally asked "I heard a rumor that Mr. Potter has disappeared. Is there any truth to this?"_

"_Yes there is. Harry has disappeared and we are quite worried about him. I even wonder if he will come back."_

"_Why?"_

"_Well the obvious is that he was badly injured during the second task and we have not heard from him since. For all I know, he could be lying somewhere dying and we wouldn't know about it. "_

"_How'd he get injured?"_

"_As I was told during the scoring of the second task, it is not against the rules for a fellow champion to attack another during a task and from what I learned when we received our scores, you can have points deducted by helping another champion or even saving their lives."_

"_Please elaborate. We were informed of the scores but not any particulars involved with it."_

"_I have not been able to talk to Harry about his actions during the course of the task, but Miss Delacour got into serious trouble. Harry saw this and reacted just as he always has done and made sure she was safe. He then continued on with the task and in the process, stood up to the mermen warriors because he fully intended to take Miss Delacour's hostage back with him. As he was bringing his and her hostages to the surface, Mr. Krum swept in and in his transfigured half shark form, bit Harry and only released him when the mermen warriors reacted to save Harry from Krum. Along with his wounds from Krum, one of the mermen was trying to attack Mr. Krum and in the chaos, a trident was stabbed through Harry's leg. Even with all this happening to him, Harry fought his way to the surface and delivered the two hostages with a minute to spare on the clock." _

"_It seems our Mr. Potter is as noble and heroic as you say."_

"_Yeah he is. When it came time to score the results, Harry was deducted points for saving Miss Delacour, fighting against the mermen in his attempt to rescue the younger Miss Delacour, and last but not least, he was penalized five points for not being able to get himself and his hostages up on the platform by himself after he had received all these injuries. Why wasn't I penalized for pulling him and the hostages out of the water? At this point, the whole tournament has become a joke in my eyes and if it wasn't for the magical contract, I'd have already walked away from competing. It's obvious that there is a hidden agenda that is influencing the judges."_

"_Those are some pretty strong words Mr. Diggory."_

"_Yes they are but there's something else that is bothering me. This tournament was promoted as an opportunity to improve international relations and bring us all closer together. I find it strange that behavior completely opposite these goals are being promoted while someone trying to live up to this ideal is being punished."_

_Do you have any explanations for all this?_

"_No Sir, I think the ones you should ask are the judges and in particular Professor Dumbledore."_

"_Mr. Diggory. You made a comment earlier about Mr. Potter may not come back. Is there a reason you said it?"_

_Miss Jones responded "I came across Harry one afternoon after he told Cedric where he was going to be. He was just sitting in a window and looking at the gates of Hogwarts. I leaned up against him and asked him what he was thinking about and he responded with 'Sometimes I wonder if magic is worth it.' When I asked him what he meant, he said 'I could walk out those gates right now and never look back. I know I'd lose my magic but it'd be better than having to live through this crap.' I'm not sure that I'd really blame him for leaving at this point."_

_I asked Lord Diggory what he thought about all this and got the reply "I trust my son in all matters. If he has made it a point of honor, then House Diggory will support him in any way. Lord Jones and myself are launching an investigation into the situation surrounding Mr. Potter and if we deem it necessary, we may take House Potter under our protection until it can once again stand on its on but that is when and if he returns. It disheartens me to think of the sacrifice made by the Potter family and how this young man has been made to suffer. I knew James and Lily and they would be appalled at his treatment. I would like to know who is acting in Mr. Potter's behalf and why haven't the allied houses stepped in as is their duty. As we are giving public notice, any actions taken by any individual or house towards House Potter at this point will be seen as a direct attempt to subjugate one of our Most Ancient and Noble Houses and they will be brought before the Wizengamot to answer for their actions."_

There were people scattered all around the Great Hall that were thinking 'Oh crap!'

Albus went pale when he realized the things he had done to Harry were going to come to light and he would have to use his considerable amount of favors to weather the storm that was coming.

The Weasleys began preparing themselves for the howler that was sure to be making its way towards them already.

Susan Bones almost threw up her breakfast at the thought of the arse chewing and punishments that were coming her way from her Aunt Amelia.

Poor old Neville did throw up at the thought of his vulture stuffed hat wearing grandmother in a rage. At present, he was trying to figure out where Harry had been hiding so he could go there as well.

Hermione sat with tears running down her face. The thought that she was part of the reason for Harry seriously considering giving up his magic was too much for her to take. She eventually ran to her room where she would spend the rest of the day crying.

There were countless others who knew that their families owed a lot to the Potters be it through loans or other concessions. They were sure that they would soon be hearing from their families as well.

Just as the full impact of their actions were taking affect, Cedric and Megan walked happily into the Great Hall and sat at the very end of the table away from their house mates. Susan was the first to ask her dorm mate "How could you?"

Megan just gave her and evil grin and replied loudly enough for everyone to hear. "I did it for Harry you stupid little bint. I hope every one of you suffers just as much as you caused him to."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: No not me. JK owns it all. I just thank her for allowing us into her world.

AN: I meant to give credit at the end of the last chapter and left it off so I'd like to correct that now. The author Poppy read about the peanut butter and the merpeople was our own Clell65619 in Tri-Wizard Tales. A truly good read that will make you laugh.

As always, thank you for the reviews. Your encouragement makes me strive harder to create something you will enjoy. I must apologize as this chapter got away from me and my original intent to lead into the third task has been delayed. It's probably a good idea as I keep bouncing ideas off Aealket to try and come up with a way to work out what I want to do. Thanks Alan.

Another thing I'd like to thank you all for is your suggestions and ideas. They make me do a lot of 'what if' thinking and end up extending the story hopefully making it more fun for us all. I let my imagination run wild in this chapter which allowed me to throw a few twists into the lives of Harry's former friends. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 6

The Fit Starts Hitting the Shan

After breakfast was done, the students hurriedly moved to their first classes sighing in relief that they had avoided owls carrying bright red envelopes until the next day. It did nothing to relieve their unease though as nothing would stop the outrage that they were sure was heading their way. Megan and Cedric enjoyed their notoriety as most of the students tended to avoid them in fear of what they would do next. The only exceptions to this were Cho and a little blond Ravenclaw that would sometimes follow along behind them at a distance.

Cho was about to send her away before she saw Cedric notice the girl and then hold out his arms to her. When the girl ran at him and they pulled each other into a tight hug, Cedric asked "Hey Luna sweetie, where have you been all year?"

She returned the hug and smiled up at him. "I didn't want to bother you. I didn't think it would do your reputation any good to be seen with me."

"Like I care about that. I've told you that you can come to me anytime. I've always got time for you."

She smiled again. "Can I sit with you at lunch? I want to be somewhere safe when the Great Hall dissolves into chaos."

Megan perked up at that and asked "What did you see?"

Luna gave her a spacey smile and replied "I don't know what you're talking about Mistress Megs."

Megan looked at her in shock before growling out "Who told you about that? It wasn't the nargles again was it?"

"Of course not. They know better than to share your secrets after the last time. This time it was the pink pantied pixies."

Megan growled out "Not a word about this to anyone Luna."

Luna briefly smirked at her before hiding it. "Of course not Mistress Megs. I wouldn't dream of it. So will I be cousins with the green eyed seeker soon?"

Megan blushed but there was a slight smile on her face. Cedric took up the teasing and said "Well she already is Mistress Megs to his house elf so I'd be willing to bet that she'll confine him to a bed real soon."

Luna grinned. "You know you could use your ties if he gets too rough."

By this point, Megan was absolutely glowing from her embarrassment and turned to walk away. Luna hurried over and wrapped her arms around her. She whispered in her ear "I'm happy for you cousin. He will fill your life with love and passion. I'd say he's perfect for you."

Megan turned in the embrace and returned the hug. She whispered back "I think so too."

Luna smiled and whispered "You need to remember that in the next few years. His life will not be easy and he will need you desperately but once the storm fades, your life will be everything you could ever hope for."

"Thanks Luna."

"No thanks are necessary because I will be there right beside you."

Megan smirked "I don't think he could handle the both of us."

"You are probably right. Just one of us should be enough for any man since we take after our mothers. How is Aunt Kathleen?"

Megan laughed "She still has dad wrapped around her finger and misses you and your mum."

Luna nodded "So do I, tell her I will see a lot of her this summer. That should help."

Megan asked with a concerned look "Is there something you need to tell me?"

Luna's face took on a very serious expression. "Yes, I haven't heard from daddy in a while. Would you have Uncle Reggie go by and check on him? I fear what he may get up to when I'm not there to watch after him."

Megan looked at her for a minute and called out "Jiffy"

A minute later, there was a soft pop as a female house elf arrived and bowed to Megan in her cute little summer dress. "Miss Megan calls?"

"Yes Jiffy, thank you for coming so quickly. Would you ask dad to go by and check on Uncle Xeno? Luna is getting worried about him."

"Yes ma'am. Jiffy tells Master and Mistress at once."

"Thank you Jiffy. Remind me when we get home and we'll go out and buy you some new dresses."

"Jiffy would like that Miss Megan. Thank you." 'pop'

Cho was watching the entire exchange and realized if she had said anything to Luna, it wouldn't have gone well for her. As she thought about it, it was just another case of what had been happening to Harry and she resolved to do better in the future. It was then that she decided to do as Cedric had done for Harry and stand up as a protector for Luna. She stepped forward and held out her hand to Luna. "Luna, I'd like it if we could start over."

Luna looked at her warily because while she knew that Cho had not been a bully to her buy she had allowed it to continue. She stood there for a minute just looking at Cho as she held her hand out. Luna was testing her to see if she would act the spoiled little princess as was normal or if she was truly trying to change. She hoped it was the latter as the Asian girl had a lot of potential. After she didn't huff and walk off, Luna took her hand and said "Hello, I'm Luna Lovemgood."

Cho's eyes widened before she let out a giggle. "Cho Chang, nice to meet you Miss Lovemgood."

It was then that the four happy teens walked towards the Great Hall and to the predicted chaos.

**LC**

Albus Dumbledore followed his normal pattern and retreated to his office once the students were on their way to class. By the time lunch time arrived, he was ready for the diversion as his floo had been active all morning with people demanding answers. He had managed to deflect most of their questions but the constant surge or green flames began to tax his patience.

It was right before lunch that the floo flamed once more. The figure that stepped out could have been the poster child for what a homicidal maniac looked liked and by coincidence, he was. Sirius Black stepped in front of Albus' desk and spoke in a low and threatening voice. "I don't know who the hell you think you are but I know what you have done. You set up James and Lily. You sentenced me to twelve years in Azkaban. AND you sentenced Harry to a life of hell with that horse faced bitch. I don't understand how you could then take away any hope the boy had by manipulating me into causing a permanent split between us. I am willing to admit my stupidity by listening to you and do not hold you completely to blame for my current situation with him…. I don't know what you're playing at but you have made an enemy of the House of Black. If you have accomplished anything, it has been to force me into joining forces with the rest of my family if for no other reason than to thwart your plans. If you think you can make me disappear, go ahead and try. My death will only serve to increase the resistance against you and your 'Greater Good.' (He paused for a second without ever taking his eyes off of Albus.) I hope you are proud of the lives you have destroyed Albus. For that alone, I curse you to the lowest depths of hell and I hope you suffer as Harry has for all eternity."

Once he had said his peace, the raggedy man stepped back through the floo and left a very unnerved Albus Dumbledore sitting behind his desk. It caused him once again to doubt his actions towards Harry but as usual, there was no way that he could be wrong. He knew no one else had the vision or the knowledge to see the end of Tom Riddle and only he could guide Harry to his destiny that would be for the betterment of the magical society. Only Albus Dumbledore had the knowledge and power to truly lead magical society. He rose from his chair and made his way out of his office and down to the Great Hall for lunch. He longed to hear the chatter of the students as they enjoyed life and acted in a carefree manner.

**LC**

The Great Hall was a little bit livelier than it had been at breakfast but there was still an air of nervousness running through it as the students took a break from classes and ate their lunch. The loudest by far was Cedric's group of four. Cho was sitting back as the group was laughing at something Luna said and noticed that the tension and nervousness were both gone from her boyfriend and his sister. She finally leaned up and whispered to Megan. "You both are in way too good of moods. You've seen Harry haven't you?"

Megan didn't say anything but her eyes sparkled and it was enough of an answer to cause Cho to reach out and squeeze her hand. The small grin that was on her face was clue enough that something happened that made Megan very happy. Cedric couldn't resist and leaned over to whisper "Megan has a boyfriend."

"That's wonderful! Treat him right or else!"

Megan looked at her funny and said "Or else what?"

Cho looked her in the eye and said "Listen, these last few months have opened my eyes to a lot of things. The main thing was that I was just like everyone else and the only reason I was sheltered from you guys was because I was dating Cedric. I did a lot of soul searching and I don't want to be like them. I like the person you've inspired me to become."

Cedric kissed her cheek. "You were never that bad. If you were, we wouldn't be dating."

"I know but I like it here. Even if the others are ignoring us, I feel like I'm in the right place."

Luna piped up "It's a nice place to be. I can't wait for Mr. Emerald Eyes to join us. It will be even more fun then. Uh Oh, the chaos is about to start."

As Albus was sitting on his throne at the head table, he stiffened as he felt the wards alerting him that some people had just come through the front gates. He was not quite ready for round two after his little meeting with Sirius Black which still had him unnerved as Sirius looked as if he was a man possessed. He remembered what happened to people who pissed off the Marauders but to have made an enemy of the one with Black blood running through his veins was not somewhere he wanted to be. It was a problem he would have to consider and then take care of. If Sirius were to reunite and focus the Black family against him, he would stand an even less chance of weathering the storm that was even now starting to batter him.

The students looked up in horror as the doors to the Great Hall banged open and a group of angry parents were standing there. As some of the students recognized their parents or guardians, they turned pale and began to shake. One student in particular glanced over to the doors and upon seeing a hat with a stuffed vulture mounted to it caused him to faint dead away. Susan saw her aunt glaring at her and turned her eyes down to the now nauseating food that was in front of her.

The Weasley children were even paler than normal when they saw not only their mother and father but an angry Bill and Charlie as well. If that wasn't enough, there was a thoroughly agitated Percy stepping up right behind them looking as if the stick he had up his arse was making him even more uncomfortable than normal. Hermione cast a glance at the Weasley family and then almost did as Neville when she saw her furious father and extremely disappointed mother.

All across the hall, faces paled even more when a flock of red envelope carrying owls swooped into the Great Hall. There were a few who flew down to some of the students but the majority headed straight for Albus and the head table. Never one to shy away from anything, Augusta Longbottom ignored the owls that were circling the head table and were doing their best to avoid the obviously furious witch, and marched straight up to the head table. She cast a scornful look at Minerva who could only lower her eyes in shame and loudly said "Ah Albus, we require the use of some of your unused classrooms for a while. If this is not convenient, we'll just take our heirs home and return them when we are done with them."

Albus' attention was on the circling owls but after it registered what she had said, he cast a quick glance at his students who had a look of hopefulness about them that he would not allow them to be taken home. "No, I mean, yes, that's fine. I'm sure we can accommodate your needs."

Augusta sneered and after a glance at the increasing number of owls, said "Yes, well I'm sure you have other matters that need attending to. I'm sure we can find our own way."

She turned and stormed off up the side of the Gryffindor table where she saw her grandson laid out on the floor. She hit him with an enervate and said "Get up Neville. You don't need to lie there on the floor and embarrass the family even further."

The other parents took their cues from her and began dragging their children out of the Great Hall. The surprising thing was that the students were from every house and quite a few eyebrows rose at the Slytherin table when the Greengrass, Davis, and Moon parents appeared and escorted their children out as well.

As Cedric watched the events unfold, he cast a shield dome around the four of them and they watched as the owls began delivering their letters. The loud bangs and screeching continued for a half an hour before they finally subsided. At the end of the onslaught, there was a pile of confetti at least a foot deep surrounding the head table. The quartet laughed as the much shaken professors left the Great Hall after announcing that classes would resume tomorrow. Most of them retired to their quarters where bottles of Ogden's Finest were pulled from desk drawers and quickly opened. Minerva was the worst as one of the howlers bore her daughter's voice that was lambasting her and asking what in hell she had done to Lily's baby boy.

**LC**

The four Slytherin students were led out onto the grounds by their parents. As they strolled around the lake, Lord Greengrass started the conversation. "We are going to talk with you as a group since we are all family and you were raised that way. (The Ladies of the houses were sisters.) Daphne, I need to know where you and your sister along with your cousins fall in this mess."

Daphne replied "We have stayed out of it father. Thanks to Draco Malfoy, Potter looks on all of Slytherin House with distrust even though most of us have never given him reason to do so."

Lord Moon asked "So none of you have said anything derogatory towards him?"

Lilith Moon answered "No sir, we have tried to remain above it."

Lady Greengrass asked "Please tell me you did not wear those disgusting badges I heard about."

Three of the heads looked down. Lord Davis hissed "I'm so ashamed of you Tracy. Why would you do something like that?"

"I'm sorry father. We didn't do it on purpose. When we put them on, they said 'Support Cedric Diggory'. We didn't know they would change and when they did, we tried to remove them but they had a sticking charm on them that wouldn't allow us to remove them until that night. I don't see what the big deal is though. Potter is too weak to do anything."

Daphne hissed back "Didn't you listen to Professor Snape that night in the common room. Potter may be weak right now but he won't always be. I assume that is what this is about?"

Lord Greengrass said "Yes. But in the future, it would serve you well not to refer to him as Potter. If you can't call him Harry then call him Mr. Potter. There is a lot more going on here than we know and if Jones and Diggory are moving towards him, things in our world could change quickly."

Lilith asked "But aren't the Diggory and the Jones Houses neutral like us?"

Lord Moon said "Yes they are but they are of a lighter persuasion than our families. As you well know, the Potters are a very old family and well connected. There are currently over fifty vacant seats in the Wizengamot and with young Harry being the last of his line, we don't know how many seats he will obtain on his majority. He could very well be a voting block to himself."

Lord Greengrass added "I am almost positive that he will gain at least ten seats. If that wasn't enough, I've heard a rumor that he will lead the Black family as well."

Astoria gasped "Aren't those the seats that Draco says will be his?"

Lord Davis chuckled "I'm sure he thinks that but I'm sure the current head of House Black may have a differing opinion. After all, he is the godfather to young Harry."

Tracy asked "Who?"

"Sirius Black"

Astoria asked "The mass murderer?"

"The one and the same."

Daphne said "Wait a minute, in the article; Megan said that family turned their backs on Harry as well. Do you think he meant Lord Black?"

Lord Greengrass said "We don't know and that has us worried. If it was true, a vengeful Potter and Black family joined together would not be a good thing right now as they have enough power to seriously impact the Wizengamot and the Ministry. Daphne, it is obvious that you have remained completely above this mess so I want you to make overtures to him. We are going to approach Lord Jones and offer our help and support."

As they were coming back around the lake and getting closer to the entrance of the castle, Lords Jones and Diggory along with their wives were coming out of the door with their children in tow as well as a little blond girl. They were about to start their own stroll around the lake when the two groups came face to face. Lord Greengrass stepped forward and shook both of the Lords' hands. Once the greetings between families were done, he said "We have discussed it and would like to offer our support in the matter that faces you."

Lord Jones looked at him warily. He was about to answer when Daphne stepped in front of Megan and said "Megan, I'll swear an oath if you require it but we really want to help."

Megan stared back at her and asked "Why are you saying this to me?"

Daphne snorted "Come on Megan, it's obvious that Granger is out of the picture and you're the top contender. We also know that Harry is going to be a major influence on our world. Even though my family's views are a little darker than yours, we all are neutral and share basically the same goals. I'm not going to deny that we don't want to be left out when things change but if your houses take a protective status over House Potter, your fathers will have a harder time of it than you realize. Between the light houses and the dark houses making a run at it, they will have their hands full so if you add our families to the protection, the work can be shared by five instead of two."

Lord Jones asked "Lord Greengrass, do you normally allow your heiress to speak on behalf of your house?"

He responded "I trust my daughter in all matters. In all honesty, we, and I include all of the adults in this, are just the muscle and advisors. The real solutions will be created by our children as I'm sure Mr. Potter has no trust in anyone our age at this point."

Megan looked up at her father who was watching her intently. She finally said "I'm still confused as to why everyone is looking to me for a decision on this. Cedric started it and our fathers decided it was a worthy cause to take up. I think that the decision should be left to the more experienced and that is obviously not me."

Lord Jones smiled in pride and laid his hand on her shoulder. "We're not asking for a decision. We are asking for your opinion."

"My opinion says yes but I'm biased and only want Harry protected until he can do it himself. Cedric, your input would be good about now."

Cedric added "Our families have always been friendly with each other and are usually on the same side. There are some things going on that I don't agree with and I feel something needs to be done about it which is where our parents come in. I cannot answer for an Heir of a Most Ancient and Noble House as that would be above my station. I will however be very grateful to all of you if you were to start blocking any movements towards House Potter and maybe put some plans in place for when he returns."

Megan nodded and then said "Harry has confided in us about his plans for the future. We swore an oath not to reveal anything so it won't do to ask. I will ask that you tie the matter up as long as you can. Once Harry reappears, Cedric and I will begin the education he should have been given starting at age six. If you can give us this time, I promise that we will arrange a meeting between all five families and Harry where you can make your offer."

Lord Greengrass said "That sounds prudent and reasonable. When young Potter first came to Hogwarts, I was concerned that he lacked knowledge of our world. Daphne's observations also showed things that I couldn't comprehend but at this point, it seems as if he was being set up to be thrown amongst the sharks. I would like to avoid that and will swear an oath that we have no ill intentions towards Mr. Potter. He could be a major force in our world for good and we see this as an opportunity to improve things for the better. It is something our family has dreamt about for a long time."

Lord Jones replied "Ours as well. We see Mr. Potter as our best chance to accomplish this."

Cedric took advantage of the silence that followed to say "That is all well and good but in this matter, Megan and I will be Potters to protect Harry."

Daphne stepped forward and said "If you will have me, I too would like to serve in this capacity."

The two groups separated and went on their way feeling like they had made some progress in the fight for Harry. As they walked, Kathleen kept her arm around Luna and would squeeze her every so often. Forgetting that Luna was so much like her mother, it surprised her when Luna said "I'm sure your visit is not a mere coincidence even though it worked out rather well. What has my father done?"

Kathleen stopped and pulled her into a tight hug. "Xeno is not well dear. We found him wandering around the house calling out for you and Selene. He hadn't been taking good care of himself and was quite off balance."

Luna stared right back at her with her large grayish blue eyes. "So he finally cracked. I knew it was only a matter of time without me being there to hold him together."

Megan came over and said "It's not your fault Luna."

Luna's expression changed back to her dreamy mask. They all knew it was her way of hiding her pain but accepted it as just how Luna had dealt with pain ever since the loss of her mother. She finally said "It was going to happen sooner or later. Daddy just wouldn't accept mother's death and was looking for a way to contact her. He kept claiming that she hid the Lovegood fortune from him and he needed to know where it was."

Reginald said "Well that was true in a way. She did transfer the Lovegood fortune to the Gnomes and had them deposit a set amount of money in your father's Gringotts' vault every month. She claimed that the Goblins were not who they claimed to be as well as your father would have spent everything on some crazy idea or another."

Kathleen said "We took him to the mind healers at St. Mungos and they expect he will be there for a while. In the meantime, you will come live with us. We will have a portkey for you so that you can go back and forth between houses but we expect you to be with us for dinner every night as well as sleep there."

Luna's dreamy expression cleared for a minute when she said "Thank you Aunt Kathleen and Uncle Reggie. I have a feeling it will be one of my best summers in a long time."

"We hope so. We will also take you to visit him as often as you like."

Luna nodded and then a smirk formed on her face. She turned to Megan and asked "Will that be okay with you too?"

"Of course, why wouldn't it be?"

Luna started skipping off and yelled over her shoulder. "I wouldn't want to interfere with your snog time with Mr. Emerald Eyes."

Megan growled and then took off after Luna while the rest of her family laughed. Reginald asked Cedric "So are they really a couple?"

Cedric looked around and then said "Yeah, he asked her last night."

Kathleen smiled as Amos asked "You've seen him? When can we talk to him?"

"Yes we have and the earliest will be a few weeks. He's being put back together literally and will be under a sleep potion for at least a week if not longer. We'll know more when he wakes up and we have a chance to talk with him." They all smiled as they heard the sound of Luna giggling and Megan yelling while chasing after her. It was an old game they had played for a long time.

**LC**

The unused classrooms were getting quite the workout that afternoon as numerous families were in them behind privacy charms. In most cases, the fathers had already yelled themselves hoarse and it fell upon the mothers to continue the tirades. In two of the rooms, the only parent available was two ladies that were well up to the challenge of tackling the subject on their own.

Augusta Longbottom sat across from her grandson Neville and stared him straight in the eye. She asked "Have you not known about the sworn alliance between Potter and Longbottom since you were old enough to understand?"

"Yes Gran."

"I seem to remember telling you before you got on the Express in first year that you were to find Harry Potter and never leave his side."

"Yes Gran, you did and I tried but Ronald Weasley blocked me at every turn and never gave me the chance to talk with Harry without him being there."

"You are a Longbottom; you should have ordered him out of the way. In second year, you failed to befriend him as well as last year. Have I not been thorough in my instruction? Did you not know that a Longbottom and Potter have always been together in school and were there to support each other? Did you not know that both families planned their children together so that this would always be the case?"

"Yes Gran, you were very thorough in your instruction. It is I who failed to do my duty."

"Failed to do your duty? Is that what you said? How can you call this year failing to do your duty? Do you call completely violating a blood sworn pact between to Ancient Houses just failing to do your duty? Neville, you turned your back on a Potter and the consequences for this will be enormous. I would even dare to say that when the full impact hits, magic will take a payment and as the sitting Lord Longbottom, I doubt your father will survive it in his present state."

Neville sat there with tears running down his cheeks. "I tired Gran. I tried to apologize and make amends but he wouldn't accept it. I'm just glad he knows nothing of his heritage."

"WHAT?"

Neville stumbled backwards and looked up at her in fear. She said "Explain what you just said!"

"Harry doesn't know what it means to be a Potter. When he first arrived, he didn't know anything about magic and still to this day, he's dressed in old hand me down clothes. Even the Weasleys dress better than he does."

Augusta paled "And you are just now telling me this. Do you know what else you have done? Dammit Neville, we are sworn to help a Potter when he is in need and you never thought these were things we needed to help him with? It's quite obvious that this year wasn't the first time you have turned your back on Mr. Potter. But it WILL be the last."

Neville Longbottom was almost catatonic after the arse ripping he just received from his grandmother. She went on to threaten him with living long enough to train his oldest child in the hope that HE would be suitable to take up the mantle of Lord Longbottom as she felt he was incapable of. In the end, she growled out "You'd better find a way to fix this or your life will be a living hell from this point on. I'm almost to the point of disowning you and blood adopting Harry so that HE can continue the line."

**LC**

Susan Bones was not fairing any better than Neville as she sat there while her Aunt Amelia tore strips out of her behind. Most everyone did not know that Susan had a fiery temper and she was bristling at what her aunt was saying.

Amelia said "I taught you this myself. You knew about the family alliances and yet you chose to ignore them. May I ask why?"

"Potter lied to everyone. I know he entered himself in that tournament and it was all so that he could make Cedric and Hufflepuff look bad. I don't have to do anything to help a liar or a cheat."

Amelia gave her a hard stare for a minute. "I find it kind of hard to accept that when Mr. Diggory has made a public statement to the fact that he believes Mr. Potter and is in fact friends with the young man. Hell Susan, he even made it a point of family honor to help Mr. Potter in whatever way he could."

"So Potters got him fooled. It wouldn't be the first time Auntie. Even his best friends don't believe him."

Amelia got quiet for a minute and then said "The Bones family is honor bound to the Potters. If that wasn't enough, we are in the Potter family's debt for many other things one of which is when Charlus Potter paid to have our manor rebuilt after it was burned to the ground so that you and I would have a home of our own."

Amelia knew that she was seeing the beginning of the end for House Bones if Harry pulled out of the alliance as they no longer would be trusted by the majority of wizarding Britain. The Bones family had built their reputation upon their integrity and it was quite possible that a little girl with a crush had ignored the very thing she had been taught since she was six. Susan's anger rose at her Aunt's tirade and she snapped "I suppose you want me to kiss his arse now."

Amelia turned on her and did the one thing she had never done to her niece in their entire time together. She smacked her face. Without saying a word, Amelia walked out of the room and left the castle. It would be weeks later that Susan realized what she had done as she hadn't heard from her Aunt Amelia since that day.

**LC**

All across the castle, similar talks were being held as parents explained the depth of their debts to the Potters. Many got the message that if Harry Potter called in all debts owed to the Potter family, there was a good chance that they would not be returning to Hogwarts and would immediately have to go to work to help pay back what was owed. The only reason they were able to maintain the standard of living they currently held was that the financial contracts were very relaxed and the Potters were in the business of actually trying to help others. It was also pointed out that this was a trait of Harry Potter as well until this year. Many students left their meetings with their parents with a whole now understanding of life and were instructed to fix the damage.

**LC**

Katie Bell sat in a classroom with her parents with tears leaking out of her eyes. Out of most of the students, she was probably the most remorseful of them all as she and Harry were the closest in age on the Quidditch team and had formed a strong friendship. She knew Harry was unbelievably shy and wouldn't catch a troll sized hint if it was sitting on him but she came to school wanting to try dating him. She was well aware of his feelings for Hermione but felt that the bookworm would never act on them.

Katie was crying into her hands as she told her father that she tried to apologize to him but he was so angry at what they had done that he even refused to play on the same team with them anymore.

Her father said "We wanted to check on you to make sure you were alright and maybe see if there was anything we could do to help. She looked up at him confused and asked "Why would you come all the way up here just to help with this?"

Albert Bell shot his wife a quick glance before he spoke. "There are some things you don't know about our family Katie. You never met my father as he was already gone before you came along."

"What does your father have to do with my problems with Harry Potter?"

"My father fought along side Charlus Potter in the battle against Grindelwald. Both men saved each other's lives and from that point on they were inseparable. My father bought a home near Potter manor and Charlus eventually backed my father in a business venture. The business was successful but one day there was an explosion at the business that caused my father to be paralyzed. With the business destroyed, the money he had saved quickly disappeared in medical costs and we were left with some very large debts and no way to pay them off. It was about this time that mum ran off because she didn't want to be poor with a crippled husband. Another problem was that no one would hire dad because of his condition."

Katie just sat there looking at him in astonishment as she had never been told this before. Albert started again. "Charlus found out about our problems and stepped in and bought out all of the Bell family debts only to turn around and claim them settled. He then offered dad a job where he remained until he passed on. The result was that James and I were always together growing up and we knew each other well."

"James and Charlus paid for my Hogwarts education and when I was done with that, James even paid my way through law school only I didn't know it at the time. I only found that out in the papers my father left for me when he died."

"When I returned from law school, James approached me and offered me a deal. The deal was that James would front the money for me to open my own practice on the condition that I remained on retainer for the Potter family. As long as I was on retainer, the money would never have to be repaid but if the contract was ever cancelled, all debts would come due. Under normal circumstances, the contract wouldn't have been a big deal for most barristers but I had taken the example shown to me by the Potters to heart and was generous to others. The money will make things a little tight for a while but we can handle it."

Katie finally said "I'm sorry dad, I've tried to apologize and fix things between us but he won't hear it. I'll work hard and get on a professional Quidditch team. I'll do what I can to make up for my mistake."

"I appreciate that Katie but if the Potters pull out, I'll more than likely have to close my practice since no one else will trust me."

"Surely it won't be that bad. I mean I know he's the boy-who-lived but even the papers think he's crazy most of the time."

That comment was not the right thing to say as he replied "It's that attitude that has placed us in an already worse position than we were already in. I was sworn not only to the Potters but to Harry in particular by James and Dumbledore blocked me from ever doing my duty for Harry. It won't be long before secrets are exposed that will bring a lot of high ranking people down. Once it gets out that I failed to do my job in respect to the Potters, my reputation will be ruined."

"Then shouldn't Dumbledore take the fall?"

"In a perfect world yes but our world is far from perfect. There's also one other thing we need to talk about and it is way worse."

"What can be worse than that?"

"I found some other papers amongst dad's. My father was very grateful to Charlus for what he had done for us and he did the only thing he could think of to pay the Potters back."

"What is it dad?"

"He drew up a marriage contract between our families as a way to repay the debt. The contract states that when there is a son of the Potters and a daughter of the Bells and there is no more than two years difference in their ages, the contract will activate when they both turn sixteen and will be required to be fulfilled when the youngest turns seventeen."

"Ah shit dad, I've got to marry Harry Potter. He hates me right now."

"Well maybe not, you see there is a clause in there that states that if the son of Potter finds the daughter of Bell unworthy, then the contract will be voided but with a penalty."

"What penalty?"

"Well it has degrees, if the son of Potter is already in love with another; it would roll to another generation until the contract is fulfilled."

"Are there other conditions?"

"Yes. If the rejection is due to a betrayal, the entire amount of the family debt that was cancelled would be required to satisfy the contract with interest."

"Just how much are we talking about?"

"A half a million galleons."

Katie's head dropped into her hands. Without looking up, she asked "If the Potters were so damn honorable, why did they write a contract such as this?"

Albert hissed "The Potters are honorable Katherine. My father wrote this contract to ensure that our family remembered what we owed some very good people. They only agreed to it to make dad happy as he was already dying. James told me that it was his father's intention to cancel the contract but he needed my blood to do it. After dad died, I was out of the country for a while and by the time I got back; Uncle Charlus and Aunt Dorea had been murdered. Once they died, the contract could not be voided."

Katie got up from her chair deep in thought; she finally said "I'll fix it somehow." She walked out of the room and down the hall without a clue as to how she would ever get Harry to even speak to her again and even more challenging would be convincing him to do her a favor by not destroying her family when he laughed at her face.

**LC**

Hermione Granger was crying in another room as her father tore into her. He loved her very much but his personal honor was offended by her actions. From his time in the military, he knew what it meant to owe someone your life and to betray that kind of thing was something he could not accept. He also knew that the two kids had been through a lot together and over time, a deep connection had formed. Every time Hermione mentioned Harry to him, he couldn't help but picture the two of them marrying and him eventually chasing after little wild haired children. How things had come to this was beyond his comprehension as he thought he knew the kind of person hi daughter was.

Hermione sat sobbing as her mother approached her. In a quiet voice, she said "I don't understand how you could do that to your first true friend. If that wasn't enough, I saw the signs last summer, you were in love with him and from what I saw, it was something worth fighting for. You could have built a true loving relationship with Harry that would have stood the test of time. Honey, I know you are only fifteen but both of you are more mature than your peers so it was easy for me to accept. You have never bowed to peer pressure in your life so what made you start now?"

Hermione sobbed out "I don't know. I was scared."

"Scared of what? You once said that as long as you had Harry, nothing else mattered."

"I don't know mum, I was stupid and now I've lost my best friend."

Charlie Weasley knocked on the door and when they opened it, he said "I'm sorry to interrupt but Dad asked me to come get you. It seemed important enough to disturb you."

**LC**

While all these other family dramas were going on, the Weasleys were in one of their own. The four youngest knew that if their parents and three older brothers had shown up, it was indeed a very serious matter. It was a rare occasion that Arthur Weasley would convene a family conference and when he did, it meant that he was taking things very seriously.

For the longest time, he just sat there and looked at his four youngest children. They all knew him as a loving father but the expression on his face was anything but. It was a rare occasion for him to get angry but he was in such a state that even their mother knew to keep her mouth shut.

In a very low voice, he finally said "I want to know what has happened for my family to fall so low as to treat someone we considered one of our own in a manner like this."

Percy spoke up and said "I warned you about getting involved with Potter. I told you he was nothing but trouble."

Before Arthur could react, Bill was up and in Percy's face. "Shut the hell up Percy. Your actions lately haven't been any better than these four idiots. If you can't offer anything to help with the situation, then remain silent. Charlie and I had to leave our jobs and come all the way here because of their stupidity."

Arthur started again "I told you before Christmas that you needed to do whatever you must to fix the problem. Harry has been good to this family and if it wasn't for him, we would have lost Ginny. For us to treat him like this is inconceivable."

Ron whined "Dad, I tried to apologize to him after the first task but he just threw it back in my face."

Ginny snorted "Yeah some apology. Hermione told me all about it. He might have even accepted it if you had been even a little bit sincere or if it hadn't been you who started all this in the first place."

Charlie turned to the twins and asked "Where were you when all this started?"

"We were there."

Bill asked "You didn't stop the little idiot?"

George said "We didn't think it was any different than any other argument they've had. We thought it would blow over but then Ronald kept fanning the flames until everyone in the house was against Harry."

Percy asked "And what did you three do while Ronald was instigating his revolt?" He was about to add 'of the great Harry Potter' but remembered Bill's threat and if there was one thing he knew, it was to not cross his oldest brother.

Ginny looked down and they could see tears running down her face. "We didn't do anything. We sat there and watched as Harry was turned into an outcast."

Ron said "I only did what the headmaster told me to. I don't understand why we're the ones in trouble over this."

Before Molly could say anything, Arthur was all over his last comment. "What do you mean?"

Ron said "The headmaster told me and Hermione in first year that we needed to watch after Harry and tell him what Harry was doing. Most of the time, we just gave him information but sometimes he gave us jobs to do."

Bill asked "What kind of jobs?"

Before he could answer, Arthur cut in and said "Wait a minute. Charlie, go next door and bring the Grangers here. This just got even more complicated."

Charlie did as asked and brought three upset Grangers with him. As they took seats, Arthur turned to Hermione and said "Forgive me Martin but there is something going on here far beyond what we knew. Ron was just explaining to us how the both of you have been spying on Harry since first year and reporting back to the Headmaster. Is this true?"

Hermione's eyes shot to the floor as she nodded her head. Ginny shot up and said "He was your best friend. In fact, he was the both of yours only friend. How could you?"

Hermione was openly crying now that her secret was out and the shame was there for everyone to see. George stood and started pacing. "I know we didn't do right but this explains a lot. Harry must have found out and thanks to you two; he's acting as if everyone is doing the same thing to him. Ron, Bill asked you a question. I want the answer now. What kind of jobs did he have you doing?"

Ron said "Well, my main job was to make sure nobody got to close to Harry so that he wouldn't make friends with people who could tell Harry things. I had a hard time keeping Neville and Susan away that year and after the troll thing, it became impossible to keep Hermione away so the Headmaster just included her in his plans. Second year, I was told to help spread the rumors of him being the Heir of Slytherin while Hermione got closer to him. Last year, we were told to watch him closely and look out for Sirius. If we saw them together, we were to get the Headmaster immediately. This year it was to get everyone to turn against him. It was going perfectly until last year when Hermione didn't want to do it anymore. The Headmaster had a talk with her and she did as she was told again. The same thing happened at this year until he talked with her again."

Fred was up pacing along with George when he finally stopped and said "Dobby"

A minute later, Dobby popped into the room and when he saw who was there, he gave a hard glare to everyone in the room. Ginny ran over and dropped to her knees in front of him and asked "Dobby, did you tell Harry that people were spying on him?"

"What Dobby does for Harry Potter Sir is only business of Harry Potter Sir. Dobby does not have to answer Wheezys. Dobby knows Wheezys only want what they can get from Harry Potter Sir. Dobby tells Harry Potter Sir that Wheezys is bad wizards just like old whiskers and Grangy girl who pretended to love Harry Potter Sir."

Ginny cried out "But I didn't do that to him."

"Dobby sorry Miss Ginny but even lowly house elves know not to trust a family when one of that family betrays a friend."

'POP'

Arthur sat there for a few minutes in stunned silence. It was finally Martin Granger who said "I know I'm only a muggle but from the books Hermione left at home I learned something important that you need to consider. The good news is that debts and bonds won't fully take affect until you come of age even though they will draw you towards the holder of the debt. The bad news is that if the debt remains unfulfilled, it will begin to eat away at you and your magic until you either satisfy the debt or lose your magic."

Bill nodded in agreement.

Hermione sobbed harder. Mrs. Granger said "I have no doubt that you have destroyed a very special relationship. It's obvious that you and your friends have pushed Harry past his breaking point and deserve everything you are going through at the moment. It is my hope that you can at least get on speaking terms with him again even if it is only to ask him how you could satisfy the debt. If it was me, I'd hope that he would just ask you to never speak with him again to act as the payment."

Hermione looked up with her mouth hanging open. She finally croaked out "I thought you were on my side."

Mr. Granger answered "This isn't about sides but about right and wrong. I can't help but be disappointed in your actions as honor and loyalty are a very important part of who I am. The fact that you spied on Harry for several years makes me wonder if you ever listened to anything I ever taught you. It would be even worse if you were paid to do it."

Hermione paled even more which didn't go unnoticed by anyone in the room.

Mrs. Granger added "You have a lot to think about young lady. Somewhere during your time in this world, you lost who you are and I don't think you can blame Harry for it."

"Yes ma'am. I want you both to know that I'm sorry for letting you down."

As he was walking out of the door without even giving his daughter a hug, Mr. Granger said "We're not who you need to be apologizing to and we will settle on your punishment when you get home. Since you earned money from the Headmaster, I can assume that you no longer need your allowance for books. I hope you're proud of yourself as you not only betrayed a friend but you prostituted yourself in the process."

The harsh words hit Hermione like a freight train and she began sobbing hysterically. Molly looked at Mrs. Granger for a minute before she tried to go comfort the girl. Mrs. Granger said "Leave her. This is evidently a lesson she needs to learn the hard way."

Arthur was still sitting there in silence before he looked up and said "Bill and Charlie, I'm sorry you had to come home for this. Could I impose on you to make sure the Grangers are returned to their home? I really don't know what to say and can only blame myself as a father for not raising better children. Hermione, I'm sure Martin feels the same way."

Mrs. Granger finally asked "What did he threaten you with?"

Ron stupidly said "He was going to take away my spending money."

The rest of his family was shooting him glares as Hermione muttered "He said he would keep me away from Harry. He said he would expel me for cheating and have my wand snapped and would make sure I never saw Harry again."

The whole family watched as Arthur got up from his chair and walked out of the door. They sat there for an hour waiting for Arthur to come back which never happened. Bill stood and said "If Harry returns I expect you all to stay away from him until we can figure something out. If I even hear or any of you antagonizing Mr. Potter again, I will come home and personally raise stripes on your backsides and that includes you Percy. If I can't get here, I'll send Charlie to do it for me."

Ron said "I don't understand why you are all worrying about that git. It's not like he could do anything against us. The way I see it, he owes me money for causing me to not get paid anymore."

Charlie stood and walked over to Ron. Before Ron knew it, he was on the floor with a hand print across his face. "Mr. Potter is the Heir to a Most Ancient and Noble house. Not only does he have that on his side but we have the matter of the life debt that he holds over Ginny as well as Hermione. Everything I've ever been told about him tells me he's an honorable young man and would never do anything to harm either one of them but if this family keeps antagonizing him that could change. I prefer my baby sister as she is."

Arthur found himself walking around Black Lake with Martin Granger keeping step with him. Neither man was talking as they were both lost in their own thoughts of how they had failed as a father. As the fates would sometimes do, they came to a stop as they stood facing the Diggory and Jones families. Arthur looked up and his face flushed. "Hello Amos and Reggie. I hope things are well with you and your families."

Amos replied "As good as can be expected. I hope it is the same with yours."

Arthur sagged a little and said "Please forgive me, this is Martin Granger. He asked to accompany me today so that he could discuss things with his daughter. Much like I have done with my own family. I…I want to thank you both for what you are trying to do for Harry. He's a good boy and doesn't deserve what he has been put through. I…I deeply regret my family's involvement in this whole thing."

Reginald replied "We're only doing what we feel is right. It doesn't hurt that our children are the only friends that he feels he has left in the castle."

Both men winced at that comment. Arthur said "Yes, another regret that I must find a solution to. Amos and Reginald, may I have your permission to ask your heirs a sensitive question?"

Reginald snorted "You may ask. I can't say whether you will like the answer you get as my heiress is very protective of her boyfriend."

Arthur tried to smile but it was a half hearted attempt at best. "I can understand. Harry is a very special young man and I have done my best to help him but evidently that wasn't enough. Cedric and Megan, have you heard anything that would lead you to believe that the Headmaster has done anything to Harry that would push him to the point he is at now? We've just learned that Hermione was coerced into some of the things she has done and we were told it was at the behest of the Headmaster."

Cedric and Megan both looked at each other. "The answer is yes Mr. Weasley but I'm sorry to say that to tell you more would betray confidences that we are not willing to break."

"And I would not ask you to. I love him like he is my own and only want him to be happy. My family has done enough to him and I would not want to visit any more grief upon him. I would like to ask you to do me a favor. Would you ask him if he could set aside differences with my family long enough to meet with me. I feel as the head of my family it is my duty to apologize for the actions of my children. He may not want to take advantage of it but I will always there for him and I will meet him any place he wants. I also offer my help in what you are doing for Harry."

**LC**

It was another week and a half before Madam Pomfrey gave Harry the potion to slowly wake him. As he came around, he felt a weight on his chest and looked around the dark hair only to see it was Megan. She started to stir as he moved a little but when he croaked out "Meg", she realized where she was and jumped straight out of bed. He laughed at her before trying to reach for the glass of water he saw on the table beside his bed. She saw what he was doing and grabbed for it. In her nervousness and embarrassment from him catching her sleeping with him, she managed to dump half of the water down the front of his hospital gown. She blushed furiously before she dried him off with a wave of her wand. "I'm so sorry Harry."

"That's okay Meg. I was having these great dreams that I actually gathered up the courage to ask you out and you said yes. Did I get it confused and really asked you to marry me?"

She warily said "No, you asked and I said yes to be your girlfriend. We are only fifteen Harry. Why would we be married?"

"Well I woke up with you in bed with me and thought I might have missed something."

She blushed bright red and then jumped back on him giving a tight hug. "I'm sorry. While you were asleep, I started studying in here and I guess last night I got sleepy so I crawled up next to you and took a nap. I guess the nap must have lasted all night."

Poppy burst through the door and said "Oh good, you're both finally awake. I was beginning to think I needed to give Megan the potion with you two being in bed together and so soon after you started dating. I think you beat your father and mother on that one Harry. It was a year before I had to give Lily the potion and they were seventeen."

Both kids started blushing as Poppy started laughing at their discomfort. When she settled down, she said "Oh you two are too easy. Megan was exhausted and I let her sleep."

Megan said "But curfew."

"I sent Pomona a message saying you were in my care for the night."

Megan said "Thank you Poppy, you're the best."

"I know but don't think I'm going to let it happen very often. I know you've been working yourself very hard lately."

Harry looked back and forth between them and asked "Um…what's going on?"

Megan smiled at him. "Poppy told me your plan and I've been trying to catch up to where you are in your studies. I thought with us working together and a little help from Cedric, I can join you in taking OWLs during the summer. Dad is already sending us the books and between the efforts of Poppy, Dad, and Uncle Amos, we have an exam date set for early July that no one knows about."

Harry looked at them for a minute before he finally said "Sounds like you've been busy. Anything else I need to know about?"

Since it was still very early, Poppy said "I'll check on you a little later so that you can talk. Miss Jones, I expect you to stay above the blankets."

Harry said "Um….Poppy? Could you do something about my breath? If my incredible girlfriend tries to kiss me, I'd be afraid of the damage it would cause our relationship. My tongue tastes like it has been licking the wrong side of a Hippogriff."

"And how would you know this?"

"I don't. I'm just saying."

Poppy chuckled and then waved her wand over his mouth. After she was done, he smacked his mouth and then said "Hit me again. Those potions must have been especially nasty."

She did it again and he said "Much better. Thanks Poppy."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: No really guys, how many times do I have to say it.

AN: You guys are great! I know I can't please everyone but I do try to make it enjoyable. I've had requests to hurry up and get to the third task but sorry, I'm having too much fun and hopefully you are too. As far as how some of you feel as to how Harry is acting towards his old friends, I will admit that maybe I'm making Harry into a somewhat petulant child but everything has a purpose and the story is far from over.

On another note, I may not have made myself clear on the debt issue. Most families do not owe the Potters an honor debt but it is more of a financial one with very relaxed terms. As I've tried to say, the Potters were a force for good in their world and tried very hard to help others realize their dreams (businesses) much like the Bells. The only families that are sworn allies are Bones and Longbottom at this time. I will expand more as we go but also keep in mind that nothing is free. Someone suggested that the Potters were the only family doing this but it would also be true that the Blacks would do the same thing for the darker families. Depending on which way I go, this may come out more later.

BTW….This has got to be the longest freaking chapter I have ever written. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 7

Poppy had thoroughly checked over Harry the day he woke and pronounced him in good shape but he would have to remain under her care while his strength returned. As part of his treatment, she made him exercise in his room to get used to his repaired body as well as build the muscles back to the proper level. As it was, his coordination and balance were slightly off and in the current environment in the school, she didn't feel it would be a wise move for him to move around amongst the other students.

Harry pushed himself and worked hard to get back in shape since he knew he still had the third task facing him. As far as the results from the potions, the super skele-gro had indeed repaired his bone structure and in the process added a few inches to his height. Poppy expected this and said that over the next few months, it would seem as if he was having a major growth spurt as his body tried to catch up to what would have been his optimum size for his age and then he would grow normally. The musculus potion was already working wonders as his frame was slightly beefed up and his eyesight had improved dramatically. As Poppy adjusted the prescription in his lenses, she told him that it was her hope that his eyesight would improve to the point where he no longer needed glasses.

The highlight of the afternoon was when he removed his hospital gown to change into normal clothes and found that the musculus potion had indeed repaired the damage including the nipple. With all the damage that had been done, he didn't know why the loss of it bothered him so much but he just put it down to his desire to be normal for once in his life and not some freak of nature. A smirk formed on his face and he whooped out in happiness. Just as he expected, Poppy ran back in the room to see what was wrong only to find Harry laughing at her as he rubbed his finger in a circular motion around it. She shot him a glare before saying "Yes, I was happy to see that it did grow back but I was wrong about you. That move is more Sirius Black than James Potter."

She realized what she had said when his whole demeanor darkened. "I'm sorry baby. I…I never meant…"

Harry stepped over and squeezed her hand. "It's okay Poppy and I see your point. It was something Sirius would probably have done in the middle of the Great Hall. Too bad he had to be such a selfish prick."

"Don't judge him too harshly. Azkaban does things to people and makes them do things they never would."

Harry sat down on his cross legged and nodded for her to take a chair. Once she sat, he said "It's not Azkaban. It's his whole Peter Pan complex. Hell Poppy, I'm more mature than he is and he's over twice my age. Did he come to you for help when he got out? I'm sure there are potions you could give him to restore him to better condition. I mean, look at what you've done for me."

"No Harry, he has not contacted me for help. He was one of my boys too. He knows I would have helped."

"That makes my point for me. If he truly cared about me or was even concerned about me in any way, he never would have made the choices he made. Last year, I was just thrilled to have someone in my life that was mine. It was great having friends but here was someone who had sworn to love and protect me and the more I find out, the more I doubt that was ever the case. I'm sure he loved dad. Who wouldn't love someone who saved them from their own personal hell? But me? No, I think he only did it to make dad happy."

Poppy looked at him with concern in her eyes. "I don't think that's true. I saw him with you as a baby. He was more proud of you than James was."

Harry looked at her and she could see the pain in his eyes. "Then tell me how come every single person listed in the will abandoned me. Tell me how every single family the Potters were allied with failed me in every way. Hell Poppy, you weren't listed but you did what you had to do until you had an opportunity. I've been classes with children of those families for over three years and not a single one of them have ever said anything to me about our families."

"How do you know this?"

"I didn't tell you all that mum left me. I've seen the will."

"Oh dear."

"YOU KNEW?"

"No, but I suspected. The only thing I could ever figure out was that Albus somehow blocked your parents' will so that he could get control over you. The only people who could dispute it would be the witnesses. Who were they?"

"Frank and Alice Longbottom, Lawrence and Elaina Bones, Sirius Black, Minerva McGonagall, Bearclaw, and Albus Dumbledore."

"The Longbottoms are in the long term ward at St. Mungos for overexposure to the cruciatus curse. The Bones were murdered not long before that. Sirius, well he is no way capable of trying to do anything about it. Wasn't Bearclaw the one you dealt with at Gringotts? And Minerva, I don't know what to say."

Harry said "I'm sorry Poppy but Aunt Minnie evidently has her lips stuck too firmly to Albus' arse or something else to care much what happens to me. I could give you so many examples of where I went to her about things and she brushed me aside. It's obvious that she signed the will out of loyalty to Albus and no matter what she says, it had nothing to do with me or my parents."

They looked up to see Cedric and Megan standing there with their mouths hanging open. Cedric finally said "Did we show up at a bad time?"

Harry got up from the bed and walked to the window to stare out of it as Poppy remained seated. "Harry, we will figure it out. I promise you I will be there for you."

"I know and I'm sorry for taking it out on you. You don't deserve that."

"It's okay and I'm glad you told me. I think its time you talked with your friends. The little schemers have done a lot in your absence and I think you should listen to them and work with them to plan your next move. You have my support in whatever you decide to do."

He nodded as he kept staring out the window while he tried to get his anger and pain under control. Poppy motioned with her head and Megan moved over behind him and wrapped her arms around his stomach. It took a few minutes but Harry finally relaxed into her embrace as he stared out the window. In a soft voice, she said "Come on Harry. Its time for Cedric and me to tell you what we've done. Just remember we did what we felt was best to help you and we are in no way trying to control you."

She slid her hand into his and then led him back to sit on the loveseat Dobby had 'borrowed' from somewhere in the castle. From its condition, Harry assumed it came from a professor's private quarters. Poppy got up and kissed his cheek before going back to her duties. Cedric was already in an armchair waiting for Harry to calm down. He said "You're looking better."

Harry snorted "I hope so. The last time you saw me, I was missing half my chest and back."

"Yeah well, I'm just looking forward to having you back around. I missed you."

He smiled "Thanks Ced. I missed you guys too even though I was asleep most of the time. That reminds me, we need to have guy talk sometime so I can tell you about some of the dreams I had. I can't say anything now because my girlfriend might get jealous but there were quite a few where this gorgeous dark haired girl climbed in bed with me and….well you get the picture."

Megan blushed and then slapped his arm. When he winced, she started apologizing and rubbing where she slapped. Cedric laughed and said "Her bedside manner needs a little work."

Harry grinned "I don't know I found her bedside manner quite enjoyable this morning well except for the drool."

Megan crossed her arms over her chest and started pouting at being picked on by the both of them. Harry smiled and said "I was just teasing love. I rather enjoyed waking up with you curled up next to me."

Megan looked up wide eyed at him. He asked "What?"

"You called me love."

"Well yeah I guess I did. Isn't that what you call someone when that's how you feel about them? I mean I know I'm not that…." He was cut off as her lips connected to his.

Cedric finally coughed and said "Um…I really don't want to sit here and watch my sister snogging. Nothing against you Harry but…"

Megan pulled away and cut him off. "Oh shut it Ced, how many times have I had to watch as you and Cho made doe eyes at each other and generally made me sick. I never said anything as all I wanted was for my brother to be happy."

Cedric replied "Yeah right. I'm sure Harry is enjoying all this but we need to get started before we are missed. Now, we did some things that you may or may not be happy with but it was what we felt was best for the time being. Our intention was to stir the cauldron and pull some of the attention off you and at the same time, block any attempts to try and control you until your plans could be put into effect."

Megan squeezed up close to him and pulled the newspaper article out of her bag. He read it and sat back in thought. When he had absorbed the information, he said "Tell your fathers I said thank you. This will make it easier in the long run I think. I don't understand all of the political stuff but I assume this will keep anyone from attempting to stop me taking control of my House."

"Yeah but there's more. We had several people come to us and offer their help. They were neutral families just like ours but are somewhat darker."

"I don't understand."

Megan said "That's another thing we will be doing from now until your birthday. We will be teaching you the political aspects of our world and try to help you understand and learn just what it means to be the Lord of a Most Ancient and Noble House."

Harry still looked at them with a blank expression.

Cedric said "Our families are Noble Houses that are quite a bit lower in the pecking order but still have some power. The Potters were a very old and respected house. Under normal circumstances, we shouldn't be able to offer any protection to you but this is a special case and to be honest, not many would have the balls to go against it if our fathers had the full weight of the Potter family behind them."

"But I'm the only Potter left and I can't even make my own choices according to the powers that be."

"Yes you are but we aren't talking about people but families. I know this is confusing but we will teach you everything we know. Just know that you will have a decision to make. House Potter has always been a house of the light just like House Black has always been a house of Dark. In easier terms, you can support Dumbledore, Malfoy, or come in somewhere in between. We are in between and are friendly with both sides but our philosophy is more along the lines of following the rule of law and trying to make things equal for everyone. I don't want you taking our word for it. Our Dads feel the same way and even though they would like for you to share their views, they don't want you to do so out of some sense of obligation to them for helping you. I've brought some books that are amazingly impartial that do a good job of explaining the political climate and the factions involved in it."

Harry sat back and thought for a minute. He finally asked "Who are the other families?"

"Greengrass, Davis, and Moon." They expected to hear him shout about being Slytherins but it never came.

"I don't know them very well but Daphne, Tracey, and Lilith have never treated me badly. The most I could say about them is that they were neutral towards me. When the badges came out, Tracey and Lilith both wore one but I didn't see Daphne with one. I also remember that after that first day, Tracey and Lilith didn't wear them again."

Megan said "No they didn't and the only reason they had them on that day was due to a sticking charm. They are embarrassed about it and would like to apologize as they didn't know about the second message. That also brings up another point. In our discussions with them, it was decided that we would teach you everything we could but the Lords wanted to meet with you. Before you say anything, Cedric and I stated that for that meeting, we would be Potters and stand with you."

Harry smiled at them and then Cedric added "Daphne offered herself in the same way. To better explain it, for that meeting, we will be on your side completely and it is understood that our families cannot hold it against us especially since they all saw this as the proper thing to do. Under normal circumstances, it would be your family allies that would serve in this capacity."

When Megan saw him frown, she said "We know Harry. We heard the whole thing not that we didn't already suspect it. In their defense, Augusta Longbottom and Amelia Bones would know nothing of the will as they didn't sign it. If they had, I'd bet things would be very different right now."

Cedric said "I know we are getting ahead of ourselves but when you take control over your house, you will be able to officially make or break formal alliances. As much as you probably want to at this point, it's not something I would recommend and if you were to declare your house neutral, they might break the alliances with Potter without you having to do anything more. The Lords of all five of our families are ready to swear an oath to you at any time that they will support you and protect you from harm until the time comes that you can stand on your own. "

Harry looked up at them with tears in his eyes. He asked "Why would they do this?"

Megan kissed his cheek and said "Several reasons. The most important is that a true Lord Potter would emerge that would be a strong force for good in our world. A house of your status carries a lot of weight and is probably the reason why Dumbledore wanted you in his control. They want to help change the world for the better and see you as their best chance at that. And yes, it means we all want something from you but not like what has been going on."

"I trust you both and more importantly, Dobby trusts you. He would tell me if you weren't being honest with me. You said there were several reasons."

Cedric said "Well they see an injustice being done and it goes against their morals to allow it to remain unchecked. Then there is also the legend."

Harry looked up at this as Megan blushed bright red. "What legend?"

Megan turned to him and said "The legend says that Potter men find their life mates early in life. It says the connection grows quickly and will cause both of them to defend the other above all others."

Harry sat back again in thought. When he finished sorting his thoughts, he said "Up until this year, it would have been Hermione. I defended her before I even really knew her and once we truly connected, she was by my side through everything."

Megan said "I know but she broke the bond by betraying you. What do you feel for her now?"

"Nothing. It's like I have no feelings for her at all anymore."

Cedric smiled "That's good."

"Why?"

Megan took his hand and said "It means that the pain has gone away because another bond took its place."

Harry smirked "Is that why you blasted Fleur in the middle of the Great Hall and have been terrorizing my former friends?"

"How did you know about that?"

"Poppy told me, she also said to not let you go because you reminded her of my Mum."

Cedric laughed. "That's not the real reason."

Megan laughed "Well let's tell this properly. Fleur came in and claimed that since you saved her that a debt was formed and that she would have to claim you as her mate to satisfy the debt. Well it pissed me off that she thought she could come in and take my Harry away from me. (Harry looked at Cedric and mouthed 'my Harry' to which he just got a grin in return.) So I told her that the best she could hope for was to say thank you and let it go at that because you would never be interested in someone like her."

Cedric laughed "Yeah then she said 'You love him don't you' and she stopped you cold. I think it was that moment that you realized how you felt about him."

Megan grinned "Well yeah but I did the stuff to your former friends just because they hurt you and I felt like being a bitch. Not that you would ever have to deal with that Harry."

Harry snorted "Remind me to let you read the letter from my mum sometime. It sounds like it may have been a trait the Potter men were attracted to."

Poppy looked back in on them when she heard them laughing and asked "What's got you so tickled?"

Harry asked "Was my grand mum a bitch?"

Poppy was shocked at the question at first and then said "Well, she could be."

Harry turned to Megan "Well there you go. Smart and bitchy, the Potter man's most sought after traits."

Cedric was about to fall out of his chair as Megan just sat there with her mouth hanging open. Harry quickly added "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention absolutely beautiful as well. We can't put up with the brains and the mouth unless we can zone out by staring at how hot they are."

Megan blushed at the compliment while Cedric finally fell out of his chair. Poppy let out a chuckle as she left the room saying something about "Just like Jamie."

When Megan was able to respond she asked "So every time you zone out on me, you're undressing me with your eyes?"

Harry feigned hurt but then grinned. "Of course not dear, I'm just mesmerized by your beauty. We're a little too young for me to be undressing you yet."

Megan stuttered out "Where did this Harry come from?"

Harry looked thoughtful for a minute before replying "I don't know. Maybe during our talk I realized that I had real friends around me for the first time. It also doesn't hurt that I have an awesome girlfriend that makes me happy."

She rewarded him with a kiss before Cedric said "We don't have a lot of time left so let's get back to business."

Cedric and Megan told him of the events in the castle since the second task and the reaction the article got from quite a few of the parents. They told of the hopeless looks on the faces of quite a few students and how every time they saw either of them, they looked up in hope that Harry was there but their eyes dropped when he wasn't. Harry was informed of Arthur's request and promised to consider it but wasn't inclined to accept anytime soon.

In the end, they discussed studying sessions and how they would proceed up until the third task. The first hour after dinner would be dedicated to teaching Harry wizarding culture and politics. Megan asked to bring Daphne into the loop for that part as her house had ancient status and would be a big help in the training. Harry finally agreed on the condition that a secrecy oath would have to be sworn to them at first and them to him once they met.

After that session, Harry said that they would dedicate the time before curfew to help Megan finish the fourth year material while he studied whatever they left him and the fifth year material during the day. Once Megan was ready, he would begin the fifth year material with her at an accelerated pace since it was just the two of them with Cedric tutoring whenever they ran into a stumbling block. They worked it out this way so that Cedric would be free to spend time with Cho as well as work on his own studies and prepare for the third task.

Cedric asked "When will you prepare for the task?"

"I've got all day while you guys are in class. Dobby can pop me somewhere he knows about where I can work on my spellwork without ever being seen. I know my reasons but I worry that this is going to be too much for you Megan. Are you sure you want to try and keep up with your current lessons and then also try to finish out this year and then go through next?"

"Yes, I can handle it Harry. Besides, we will have part of the summer to prepare so we should be fine."

"Okay but why?"

She gave him a shy grin and said "I have my reasons. Why don't we leave it at that?"

"Okay, if you're sure."

"Yeah, I'm sure Harry."

**LC**

The first lesson was held the following Monday evening and included Daphne who jumped at the opportunity. The first night, she could see that her thoughts were correct and Harry had chosen Megan. She might have suffered a moment of disappointment but could clearly see that they were well matched and shared a lot of affection for each other that would only deepen over time.

The Harry Potter she met that night was completely different than the one she shared classes with these last few years. His intelligence and comprehension was at the level that was only shared by a few in their year and luckily for Harry, Megan was one of these individuals. Whenever Harry was having a hard time with something, she would explain it in terms he could better understand. In most cases, the difficulties didn't come from his lack of being able to grasp the subject but from his different point of view and way of looking at things. Daphne's earlier hopes that Harry would be a force for good in their world soared when she saw the two of them work together and the way they worked seamlessly with each other pointed to the legendary Potter bond. She could only hope that she would be as lucky as Megan when she found her life partner.

Another thing she noticed about Harry was how relaxed and open he was compared to earlier years and especially earlier this year. It was evident that they brought out the best in each other because Megan was more open and friendlier than she had been in years. Daphne had known Megan ever since they were little as their mothers were friends during school. It was evident that Harry filled a hole that had remained in Megan's heart ever since the loss of Michael and for that she was thankful that her friend could be happy again. As Daphne watched, she could see how Harry could fill that hole as he was Megan's best friend and so much more.

**LC**

Midway through April, breakfast was interrupted when Cornelius Fudge, the Bulgarian minister, and the French minister were escorted into the Great Hall by Amelia Bones and a mixed team of Aurors from all three countries. As they approached the head table, only a low murmur could be heard as Fudge said "We want all three headmasters along with the other judges in the first floor conference room in one hour. In the meantime, we are going to speak to our constituents and try to get a better idea of how things have been going."

An hour later, the judges were sitting at the table as Cornelius fired the opening shots. "The article put forward by Mr. Diggory has all of us very concerned. You all have been accused of being biased in your judging and have even gone as far as to punish a young man for doing what this whole thing was supposed to be about. We won't even get into the fact that the same young man should have never been allowed to compete in the first place. We are all in agreement on this so I'll make it as plain as I can. ANY irregularities, any favoritism, and oh screw it, if anything goes wrong at all in this last task that makes your school or our countries appear in a bad light will see every single one of you being sacked from every one of your positions and a black mark placed on your records so big that I doubt you will be able to find a job mucking out stables. Do I make myself clear?"

Albus evidently didn't have any sense at all as he replied "You can try Cornelius but you have no say in my position at the ICW."

The French minister stood and looked the old man straight in the eye. "Non, Cornelius may not be able to do it alone but three ministers calling for your removal will go a long way to seeing it happen."

The Bulgarian minister then added "If they don't comply with our wishes in this matter, I'm sure the withdrawal of our membership and support will make them see things our way."

Once the short meeting was over, every single one of them could only worry about what would happen and if Harry Potter would be at the tournament. His not appearing would be a quick death sentence for their careers. On the other hand, with the way things were going, his appearance would probably mean the same thing if the rumors were true that he would come back seeking revenge. In the end, they could only hope for the best as this would probably be their last few months in their positions.

**LC**

The lessons went well and by the time of the third task, they felt Harry was ready to face the five Lords which they scheduled a week after. Harry and Megan's academic studies were also going well and they had taken on the courses one at a time. Transfiguration, charms, defense, and potions were already complete and they only needed to revise for them before the exams. They had thrown out divination and muggle studies as the former was a waste of time and the latter could be passed without even studying. They were currently finishing up magical creatures and were about to go through herbology before tackling arithmancy and ancient runes.

It was Megan's idea as she had been taking the subjects and knew of the Potter's affinity for ward crafting. As she explained it to him, they would do that once they were away from school as he had two years of catching up to do before moving on the fifth year material. She felt arithmancy was something he would pick up quickly since he had algebra in primary school and runes would be the most difficult. Megan convinced him by telling of his family's history of being some of the best warders in the world. It was how they made their fortune and how only since the death of Charlus had the Goblins managed to obtain the majority of the warding business. She told him that the reason the Potter's wards were so powerful was based on the fact that the Potter's themselves were powerful witches and wizards due to the bonds they shared with their mates and some family secrets that had yet to be discovered. These traits and abilities were always passed to their children.

It was so typical of Harry to sit there and listen quietly as Megan talked about his family as she was the only one who had ever done that for him. It was evident she had put in a lot of effort on his behalf on top of all the studying she was having to do so that he would know of his family and it made her even dearer to him. As he sat listening to her, he knew that if he was to become Lord Potter, then it only made sense that Megan would be the Lady Potter. Not only was he sure that he loved her but he couldn't imagine sharing the results of their hard work with anyone else.

Megan noticed him zoning out and asked "Am I boring you Harry?"

He immediately replied "Not at all love. I was just thinking about how lucky I am that you came into my life and how pitiful I would be if I ever lost you. I do have one question though."

"What is it?"

"If my family were warders, then how come my father was an Auror?"

"I don't know. Maybe he was a DMLE warder. I'm sure Poppy would know."

He nodded his head but the words along with the patented Potter grin in shot her a few seconds ago were enough to see him tackled on the loveseat and the most intense snogging session between the two of them up to this point.

**LC**

It was finally the night before the third task and Harry had not been seen in public since the second task. The few who were in the know found it amusing to watch as the rumors and accusations flew all around the Wizarding world. The Daily Prophet reported that Viktor Krum was a predator in every sense of the word as it was revealed that Mandy Brocklehurst was indeed pregnant with his child and several others who were hoping they weren't in the same boat. It didn't take Hermione's brilliant mind to figure out what would have happened to her if she had actually went to the Yule Ball with Viktor. In a round about way, Harry had saved her once again. It had been quite a few months but every time she thought of Harry, she spiraled back into depression.

Whenever Cedric or Megan were asked whether he should be punished for what he did to Harry, they would just smile and say he would get everything he deserved during the third task. That led to further rumors that Harry Potter was going to return to Hogwarts seeking vengeance against those who had wronged him.

Harry, Megan, Daphne, Cedric, and Cho sat around in Harry's room relaxing before the big day. No one said to much as the weight of what faced them was sitting heavily on Harry and Cedric's shoulders. Megan was in Harry's lap and holding on tight to him as Cho was doing the same thing. Daphne finally asked "Are you two ready for this?"

They both nodded but Harry said "As ready as we're going to be. Tell your dad thanks for lending us those advanced offensive magic books. There's some nasty stuff in there but with the history of the tournament, we'll probably be facing the nastiest creature Hagrid can drag out of the forest not to mention everything else they throw at us."

"You can tell him yourself when it's over. Our families are coming to watch. Have you decided what you're going to do about Krum?"

They all shivered as the nastiest smile formed on Harry's face. "I'm a firm believer in taking care of your children. I don't think killing him will help the baby he put in Mandy but I do think he needs to be paid back. If he comes any where near me, I'm putting him down badly enough to where he can't continue. Cedric, I advise you to do the same thing. He'll be gunning for both of us."

Cho said "If it were me, I'd remove his bits so that he can't make any more babies. He's trying to deny that he got Mandy pregnant and is claiming she's just a little slag trying to latch onto his fame. She was a virgin until he got his hooks in her."

Harry smirked "We can't do something like that directly because he could come back and sue us for taking away his ability to produce an heir. However, we could arrange for him to have an accident with one of the creatures."

Daphne said "I'm impressed. You have taken our lessons to heart."

Harry laughed "Well between the punishment and reward system, it was hard not to."

Cho said "Oh, I've got to hear this. What did you do to him?"

Megan smiled brightly "Every correct answer earned him five minutes of snog time. If he got one wrong, he lost ten minutes. He worked very hard because the loss of minutes carried over to the next day."

Daphne smirked "Yes but if he answered every question correctly, Meg had to remove an article of clothing of his choice."

Cho started laughing while Cedric put his hands over his ears so that he didn't have to hear any more. As the conversation wound down, Harry asked "So what should I do tomorrow?"

Megan said "Tomorrow is show off my boyfriend day. We girls have a plan that will see you through to the beginning of the tournament with little trouble." Harry nodded and didn't catch the looks the others were casting at each other. If he was to know the truth, all four of his friends were nervous about what would happen as soon as Harry appeared. It made them even more nervous because the champions usually had time with their families before the task and they had no idea who would show up for Harry. Megan recruited the whole Potter protection group to help and to keep Harry focused on the task instead of upset over what others may do or say to him.

As Poppy announced curfew, Dobby came in and popped Daphne down close to the Slytherin dorms. Cedric and Cho rose and looked at Megan expectantly. She remained in her spot beside Harry and said "I'm under Poppy's care tonight."

They both nodded in reply and left to spend a few minutes together before turning in for the night. That night would be special for both couples as they finally said the three words that they all wanted to hear. With a long but sweet and loving kiss, Megan wrapped her arms around Harry as he fell asleep. Cedric shared a long and passionate kiss with Cho that left them both breathless. Their hands lingered in each others until the portal finally closed and Cedric turned for his dorm. Thoughts of getting this damned tournament over with were foremost in his mind.

**LC**

Harry woke the next morning to the sound of a soft voice speaking and then a small pop. As he rose up, he got a good view of his girlfriend bent over in a t-shirt that left him with an incredible view. He was praising Poppy for the potions she made him take as before them, his eyes would have never been able to see the view in front of him. He listened as she whispered "Did you get everything I asked for?"

"Yes Mistress, Harry will be well protected in this. The pants, vest, and boots are horntail. Dobby had them make the boots like muggle combat boots. Dobby got blood red long sleeved t-shirt and charmed it to be impervious. Dobby put picture on back of vest. Dobby can take it off if Mistress don't like."

She opened the bag and took one look at the vest and hugged Dobby. "That is brilliant Dobby. Did you get the same for Cedric?"

"No Mistress, the pants, vest, and boots are the same but Dobby got Master Cedric a yellow t-shirt and Dobby did not put picture on back of vest. Dobby also left Mistress' note."

"You're the best Dobby. Now, what are your instructions for today?"

"Dobby listen for Masters and Mistress. If yous calls Dobby, Dobby is to go protect Masters and get them home safely."

Megan bent over further and hugged Dobby. "I'll see you in a little while. Go rest so that you are ready."

"Yes Mistress, Dobby needs to tell his Mistress that Master is staring at Mistress' bum."

She let out a little 'eeep" and stood up.

Harry groaned "Thanks for ruining my view Dobby. What are you two up to?"

Megan crawled back into the bed as Dobby popped away. She said "Don't worry about it right now, we've got a little bit before we have to get up so lay back down and wrap your arms back around me."

"Yes dear"

An hour and a half later, Poppy stuck her head in the door and looked at the cute scene in front of her. Megan had her head on Harry's chest and her leg wrapped over his as his arms were curled around her. She knew nothing happened because both of them knew that it was too soon for something like that. Poppy had even offered the potion to Megan who flatly refused saying that is was enough for them just to hold each other at this time. She also knew Megan wouldn't let anything happen because she didn't want Harry to be at anything less than his absolute best for the day. Poppy chuckled to herself that the girl must have a high opinion of herself but shook that thought away as she remembered how drained James was after he and Lily first made love and needed strengthening potions for a few days.

She finally said "It's time to get up kids."

She heard Harry groan and say "Can't we just stay here all day like this?"

Megan softly said "No love, its time to face reality."

She hopped up and made her way into the bathroom where Poppy heard the shower come on. She went and sat on his bed and placed her hand on his cheek. He looked up at her worried expression and said "Everything will be fine Poppy. All we have to do is step in the maze. Once we do that, the contract is complete."

"But you won't do that will you? You'll watch over Cedric and make sure he's okay."

"He'd do the same for me."

"I know, just promise me that you'll watch out for each other."

"You know we will."

She got up and left the room just as the shower cut off. Megan came out wrapped in a towel. "What are you still doing in bed? Get up and get in that shower."

Harry threw off the covers and plodded to the bathroom in his boxers. They both cast appreciative glances at each other as they passed each other and just as Harry reached the door, she said "Harry wait" As he stopped, she went over to the garment bag Dobby brought this morning and handed it to him. "Wear this for me today. Please?"

He reached out and wrapped his hand in her wet hair and gave her a kiss. "Anything love, you know that."

He opened the door and disappeared. She heard the shower come on and started getting herself ready for the day. She was nervous as she thought about everything that could go wrong today but did her best to push her fear down when she heard the shower cut off. Things were quiet for a few minutes until she heard him laugh. The next thing she knew, he came out into the room in his pants and boots without a shirt on.

"Sweetheart, I love it but the shirt just doesn't work for me."

"Oh, I thought it'd look good. Is there something you prefer?"

"I assume you want to make a statement?"

"Well yes. The Potters may have been master warders but they originally earned their reputations as warriors. It has been rumored that you are descended from…"

He cut her off and said "Godric Gryffindor. Yes I know and it is no rumor."

Her eyes grew wide. He just shrugged his shoulders and said "Mum's letter which you still haven't read."

He opened his trunk and then uncovered a compartment she didn't know existed. He started pulling out a few things and throwing them on the bed. During his Christmas break, he had done some shopping and bought some things just because he thought they looked cool and finally had the freedom to do so. He turned to her and said "How far do you want to go with it?"

"Well my parents are going to be here and meeting you for the first time so I want you to look cool but not like a psycho."

He laughed "But you had Dobby put a punisher skull on the back of my vest?"

"I thought it'd be better than the symbol of your family for now."

"You're right. I'm sorry." He pulled out a deep blood red short sleeve t-shirt and pulled it over his head and then strapped a wand holster and a knife sheath to his forearms. He went back over to the trunk and put some things back in before pulling out his silver dagger and sliding it in the sheath.

He looked over at her and said "I can always change before the task and put on the shirt." She nodded and went back to fixing her hair. He stepped back into the bathroom and finished up and when he stepped out zipping up his vest, he stopped dead as he took in her appearance.

She had on a pair of tight black jeans which molded to her thighs and bum just as well as the knee high black dragon-hide boots did for her calves. She had topped that with a silvery blouse that flowed as she walked. She had fixed her hair to where it was long and curly and fell half way down her back. She applied a light dusting of make up to her face that made her even more beautiful than normal. She twirled around and said "Do you like?"

"Um…Yeah…I think we need to get out of here love?"

"Why?"

"You looking like that and that bed is sitting right there? No. love, we need to go before I break a promise to you."

She giggled "You don't look so bad yourself."

They were saved when Poppy stuck her head back in and said "Are you guys about ready? Oh, don't you both look nice."

Harry said "Nice? Geez Poppy, she's got to be the hottest thing I've ever seen. I pray every night that she doesn't wizen up and dump me."

Megan stepped over and kissed his cheek. "Don't think that's going to happen. I've put too much work into you to give up now."

Poppy chuckled at their antics and said "I'm going down to the Great Hall. I don't want to miss this."

Megan called for Dobby and had him pop them down to an unused classroom near the Great Hall where they were meeting everyone else.

When they arrived, Harry and Cedric found themselves surrounded by six women who were dressed to the nines and would definitely make a statement when they walked into the hall. Megan looked at Cedric and pouted when she saw that he wasn't wearing the shirt either. "Megs, I love it but yellow? I looked like a freaking bumble bee."

Harry turned around for a minute to talk to Megan when he heard Cedric yell "No fair! How come Harry gets a punisher skull and I don't?"

Harry laughed and asked "You know what this means?"

Daphne snorted "Of course. We might be purebloods but we are not out of touch with the world."

Cedric added "Yeah, this summer I'll show you my comic book collection."

Megan said "Dobby"

'POP'

"Yes Mistress?" When the other heard him call Megan that, they snickered and Daphne just raised an eyebrow.

"Cedric is whining because he doesn't have a picture on his back like Harry does."

Dobby grinned and then snapped his fingers. Cedric turned around and said "Well?"

His answer was laughter and he pulled off his vest only to find a scowling hello kitty on it. He said "Dobby?"

"Mistress said Master Cedric whining like a little girl so Dobby make his picture proper."

By this time, Harry was on the floor laughing with Megan quickly joining him. The Slytherin quartet were doing their best to hide their laughter and Cho was patting his back while turning her head so that he couldn't see her laughing.

Harry gasped out "Dobby that was great! But please fix it before we have to get him a dolly."

Cedric glared at Harry at first before he started laughing as well. Once Dobby fixed the picture, he popped back out.

Cedric looked at everyone and asked "Ready to make an entrance?"

The Slytherin girls led the way and pushed the doors to the Great Hall open. They stepped in side by side hiding the view behind them and parted to reveal Cedric and Cho following them down the stairs into the hall. As the whole hall watched, Cedric stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned back towards the door. It took a moment for everyone to look where Cedric was looking and that's when the doors flew open once more as Harry came through with Megan on his arm. There were gasps all over the hall as he loudly said "What? If Voldemort couldn't kill me then how could a prick like Krum stand a chance?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dumbledore and McGonagall rise and then make their way towards him. The look in Minerva's eyes showed a hint that she was happy and relieved that he was alive and well or if the rumors were correct, Albus stood a chance of having a job after today. With the twinkle going full blast, Albus asked "May I ask where you have been Mr. Potter? We have been quite worried about you."

"Yeah, I'll just bet you were worried and please cut off that damn annoying twinkle in your eyes. You're giving me a headache and by the way, my occlumency shields can feel your probes."

Harry smirked as he heard several gasps around him. "As for where I have been, I spent most of my time in a hospital trying to heal from the injuries you caused during the last task. Other than that, I have been studying my arse off so that I might survive this damn tournament that you tricked me into participating in."

"I think we should take this discussion to my office Harry."

"No. It was your actions that placed me in the position I have been in this year. In fact, just so you people will not have an excuse to say anything different even though I know you will because you are a bunch of spineless sheep. I, Harry James Potter, swear on my life, my soul, and my magic that I did not enter this blasted tournament or have anyone else do it for me. And the only reason I'm still participating is to keep my magic. So mote it be."

When the flash ended from his oath, he pulled his wand and cast his patronus. As it galloped around the room, Megan pulled him towards a seat.

Dumbledore said "I still require you to accompany me to my office."

"NO! If I've told you once, I've told you a million times, you have nothing to say to me that I want to hear. If you are unhappy with that then you should expel me and be done with it. I refuse to play your games anymore."

Minerva said "Mr. Potter, you will show respect towards the Headmaster."

Megan was watching the whole thing and knew Harry was close to losing it and did the only thing she could think of. She grabbed him and kissed him hard and didn't release it until she felt him calm down. She whispered in his ear "Not yet love. We aren't ready."

He nodded his head and turned to the table. Minerva said "Miss Jones that will be fifty points and one week's detention for such an improper public display."

Megan stood and stared face to face with Minerva. "You can take as many points as you wish _Professor_ McGonagall and it won't make a bit of difference to me. As far as the detention, I claim my rights as an heir of a noble house to have my Lord present to decide if I should be punished. I'm sure Lords Diggory and my father will be most curious that someone was trying to once again interfere in the matters of House Potter or in this case, with Harry himself. Maybe I should just call them now."

Albus finally lost it and made a move towards Megan. As soon as he saw the wand start to move, Harry was up and pushed the wand towards the ceiling where the spell blew a hole in the roof. Before Albus could react, Harry had taken the wand from his hand and delivered a punch which broke the old man's nose once again while sitting Albus back on his arse.

As soon as the wand was in Harry's hand, it shot golden sparks and instantly bonded to Harry. Albus' eyes grew wide then closed as the ramifications of what just happened settled in. His momentary loss of self control was responsible for all of his plans to finally crash down. As soon as the wand completely bonded with Harry, he would forever be out of Albus' reach. Albus made a quick grab for the wand but Harry responded by pulling his hand away.

The hall was quiet before but it grew even more so as they watched the wand start glowing. They sat there and watched as the glow moved from the wand and up Harry's arms until it moved to encompass his whole body. When the glow subsided, Harry stood unsteadily on his feet until he remembered what had caused the whole confrontation. It was then he squatted down and said in a low voice. "If you ever touch Megan again, I will kill you."

He stood and grabbed Megan's hand and led her to a seat at the Hufflepuff table where the others were waiting with wide eyes. Daphne asked "What was all that with the wand Harry?"

"Not now."

She nodded but was still confused as she had never seen or heard of something like that happening. McGonagall helped Albus up and with a few worried looks cast in Harry's direction; they made their way back to the head table.

After the display of magic that just occurred, no one was brave enough to approach Harry or his entourage so they were able to eat in peace without having their low conversation disturbed. Lilith finally whispered "I'm surprised that we haven't heard a peep from our house over this."

Daphne whispered back "And we probably won't. More than likely, they'll hold their comments until they've had time to talk to their fathers. Right now, more people are afraid of what our being together means."

Harry snorted but whispered "Yeah, just look at the Gryffindors. They look like they just lost their best friend. I guess when the golden boy of Gryffindor would rather sit with Slytherins; they finally see how far they've fallen."

Tracey huffed in indignation. "I don't appreciate that."

Harry snorted "I wasn't talking about present company."

Daphne said "Still, there are some good people there that we should bring in once things settle down. They could help and it would give us a bigger power base. In fact, it might be best if you repaired some of your relationships in the Lion's den."

Cedric said "Merlin Daph, you sound like you want to overthrow the government."

Daphne smiled that evil smile of hers. "Overthrow is such a strong word. How about modernize and make more effective. The more people we have that think like us, the easier it will be."

Harry said "Listen, I'm just a dumb Quidditch player. I'll leave all the political intrigue up to you ladies."

Cedric said "Here! Here! We play Quidditch and then step in to look pretty when they need us. It definitely works for me."

Megan asked "So the future powerful Lords would step back and let their wives run the world?"

Harry replied "If they were as smart as you guys, definitely!"

As breakfast was coming to an end, Minerva stood and said "We have a special treat for the champions today and request they remain in the Great Hall as the other students go to class."

As the four Slytherins got up form the table, Daphne waved her wand and transformed their clothes into school robes. As she was about to leave, Cho laid her hand on her arm and said "The Chang family would like to formally join with the Potter coalition." Daphne shot a look to Megan who nodded.

"I'll tell my father today so that they can set up a meeting."

Harry and Megan waited for the hall to clear before they rose as Harry was going to walk her to class. He heard Minerva's voice call out "Mr. Potter, you are one of the champions. You are expected to attend as well."

"May I ask the nature of the event?"

"We have gathered your families to spend the day with you before you compete in the final task."

Harry turned and started walking out of the Great Hall. Minerva called out "Mr. Potter, may I ask where you are going?"

"Professor McGonagall, seeing as I have no family, I would prefer to escort my girlfriend to her class and then go prepare for the task."

"Nevertheless Mr. Potter, you have people waiting for you to spend the day with you. I'll ask again that you remain."

"I'll remain on one condition."

"And it is?"

"That Megan is excused from classes to join me."

"What ever for?"

"Because anyone who claims to be my family will more than likely just upset me and I need someone with me that will keep me calm. I would prefer to have my wits about me tonight when I have to participate in the third task."

She looked pensive for a minute and said "Very well Mr. Potter, Miss Jones is excused from classes for the day."

**LC**

The champions were led into the antechamber of the Great Hall where the families of the champions were waiting. Viktor made his way to his family while Fleur ran over and was quickly wrapped in hugs by her sister before she moved on to her parents. Cedric approached his and Megan's parents who had Luna with them. After he greeted them, he hugged Luna and said "I was wondering where you were. I haven't seen you in forever."

"You've been busy and I found other stuff to do. I knew where to find you if I needed you."

They looked up to see Megan and Harry come in the room a few minutes later. Megan led him past the people who were waiting for him and straight over to her parents. "Daddy, Mum, this is Harry Potter. My boyfriend."

Kathleen didn't miss the way her daughter was dressed or the fact that she never let go of his hand. Reginald held out his hand and when Harry shook his, he said "It's a pleasure to meet you Lord Potter. I trust that you will be very careful with my little girl. She is very precious to me."

Harry smiled and said "It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Megan is precious to me as well so I will promise to do my best."

Kathleen held out her hand and Harry bent over it and brushed his lips across the back of it as he had been taught. When he rose, he said "It's a pleasure to meet you Lady Jones. I can see where Megan gets her beauty from."

Kathleen chuckled and said "Oh, he's good Megan. You've taught him well. With all the work you've put into him, it's be a pity to let him go. Now, may I call you Harry? (He nodded.) Well then Harry, I'm Kathleen and the man standing beside me trying to look tough is Reginald." She turned and waved the Diggorys over where they went through introductions and Harry was once again asked to call the adults Amos and Celeste.

Amos and Reginald were talking with Harry who had Cedric and Megan standing beside him. Amis said "Cedric reported that you were doing quite well in your tutoring with them. We would hope that you will join us this summer so that we can continue your training. It would only be to better prepare you for the future."

"I would be most grateful Amos. It seems I was left woefully ignorant of my place in this world and…."

He was stopped as Molly Weasley grabbed his arm and spun him around. "Harry Potter, you will not ignore us like that. I raised you better than that so you will come over here right now and speak to your family this instant. And who is this little chippie that's holding on to you? I didn't give you permission to date anyone. Did you know my Ginny sits in her room crying most days because you refuse to talk to her anymore?"

The whole room went deathly silent during her tirade and everyone looked at her as if she had lost her mind. When they glanced at Harry, they could see he was bright red but weren't sure if it was from embarrassment or anger. When they saw the cold, hard look he was giving her, they had their answer. Harry started speaking back to her in a very low voice that everyone had to strain to hear despite there not being a sound in the room.

"Mrs. Weasley, I appreciate the times you have allowed me to come to your home but a few weeks do not give you the right to act as my mother. You will not order me to do a damn thing and if you ever insult my Megan again, I will rain holy hell down upon you and your family. My problems with your family were confined to your younger children and that massive git Percy until you opened your mouth today."

She stood there gaping like a fish that Harry would speak to her like this. In her anger, she slapped his face. Harry straightened back up and gave her a hard glare. It was then that Molly realized what she had done and her hand went to her mouth. "Harry, I'm so sor…"

She never finished as he stepped away from her and approached Mr. Weasley. "Mr. Weasley, you have always had my respect and it was my intention to sit down with you in the near future so that we could talk things through. I however did not want that day to be today. It was my hope that you could understand my point of view and I would have given you a promise that I would never do anything to harm Ginny in any way."

"When you invited me into your home and made me feel welcome, it meant a lot to me and I began to see your sons and daughters as the siblings I never had. I guess I've lived in a fantasy world where brothers and sisters may fight but they were always there for one another. They turned their backs on me Mr. Weasley. Ron even told me he hated me at one point. I… I won't make the same mistake my father did."

Arthur said "I am sorry Harry. I hold myself to blame for this. If I had been a better father, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Harry then did something that surprised everyone. He pulled Mr. Weasley into a hug and said "It's not your fault. Ever since I met you, I've always thought of you as the perfect dad. You don't yell and scream and you guide your family with a loving hand. Since I grew up without a father, I use you as the example of how I hoped my dad would have been and how I want to be with my children one day."

He released the hug as tears were flowing down Arthur's cheeks. Harry looked up to the older redheads and said "I assume you are Bill and Charlie, it's a pleasure to meet you after I've heard so many great things about the cool older brothers. I'm just sorry it's under these circumstances.

Bill shook his hand and said "Me too Harry."

Harry stepped back in front of Molly and noticed tears were also in her eyes. "Mrs. Weasley, I want to thank you again for what you have done for me but I don't think I will ever be able to return to the Burrow. The truth is that I will not feel comfortable there again no matter what you say or do."

He looked at the next couple and was confused for a minute before he made the connection. "Hello Harry, I'm Martin Granger and this is my wife Miranda. We didn't want to intrude but after talking with Arthur, we felt this may be the only chance we get to speak with you. We want to apologize for what has happened. You didn't deserve to be treated that way after what you have done for Hermione. I…I served in the SAS and I'm sure you are aware of that organization. We value honor above everything and I thought I taught my daughter my values. I…I'm sorry. I really don't know what to say."

Harry closed his eyes for a second and nodded his head. He started to walk away but was stopped by another voice. Miranda softly asked "Don't you have anything to say?"

Harry looked at her and said "What do you want me to say Mrs. Granger? That the girl I thought I was in love with ripped out my heart and spit on it? That the girl I fully intended to ask out this year and hopefully start a long term relationship was only with me to earn money for books? That I risked my own life to save hers so that she could make me look like a fool? I don't know what to say. I don't blame you; Hermione is a smart girl and makes her own decisions. I've heard the Dumbledore coerced her defense but you forget, I KNOW HERMIONE! She doesn't do anything that she doesn't want to do."

He stepped back and said "When it all first happened, I hated all of them but two friends showed me that all hate will do is eat you up inside. I forgive all of them for what they did but I never want to have anything else to do with them. I've moved on and suggest they do the same."

Harry then stepped in front of Professor Lupin who had a dog beside him. When Remus made a move to approach him, Harry held up his arm where he could see the silver knife sheathed. As he stepped back, Harry said "You lost the right to even speak to me. The fact that you chose Dumbledore over me is the biggest betrayal of all after all the promises and apologies you made about my life. In my eyes, you're no better than Peter and if we meet again, I will treat you as I would him."

Harry faced the others in the room and said "I apologize for detracting from what should be a happy occasion with your families. It seems that the drama surrounding my life seems to follow me wherever I go."

In his hurry to get away, Harry went to the door and quickly stepped through. Megan broke away from her mother's embrace and raced for the door but once she opened it, he was gone. When she turned back around, everyone could see tears running down her face and rage bubbling up to the surface. She stalked over in front of Harry's so called family and yelled "WHY? Why did you have to come here today of all days? You knew it wouldn't go well but you came anyway."

Molly said "We only wanted to show our support."

"It's more like you're trying to clear you conscience. Where was your support all year when he was alone? Where were you when he was crying at the loss of his brothers and sister and love? (She turned facing Remus) Where were you when he begged for help or just someone to talk to?"

When no one responded she huffed and said "So you show up here today when he needs to remain calm and focused for the task ahead and you upset him. Do you realize how dangerous this tournament is? Do you realize that he could die? I did some research on this stupid tournament and the reason family day was instituted in the first place was because of the death toll as it was intended to give the champions a relaxing day before the final and usually bloody task."

Molly said "Dumbledore won't let that happen."

Megan snorted "Yeah, that's worked out well for Harry so far hasn't it. Mum, Dad, I need to go find Harry and calm him down. I will catch up to you in a little while."

**LC**

As soon as Megan entered the Great Hall, Minerva stopped her and asked "I saw Mr. Potter leave the castle in a rush. Is something wrong?"

Megan snapped "You could say that. You invited people that Harry has no wish to see to come for 'family' day and all they managed to do was upset him."

Minerva replied "Albus thought it might help the situation if they were here to show their support."

Megan snorted "Where have you been all year? The only thing you have accomplished today is sending Harry further over the edge to the point that he will be reckless and suicidal when he steps into that maze. You idiots have undone all the work I did to keep him from just walking away from this world. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find my boyfriend and try to calm him down before he does something stupid."

Minerva was horrified at what had been said to her but somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew Harry would be fine because he had found his Lily. In the end, she did as she always did and just went about her business.

**LC**

Harry made his way down to the lake without any interruption and found himself on the rock that he preferred to watch the world from.

Once he sat down, several merpeople stuck their heads out of the water and then disappeared. A few minutes later, another head rose from the water than looked as if it had a crown on it. When they made eye contact the merman said "Yew ah Haawy Pahtah."

Harry gave him a nod.

"I wans to thank yew fah de giff. Few men no ow to honor us wif giffs."

Harry cocked his head for a minute as he processed what was said and replied "You are most welcome. Tell your warriors that I thank them for their actions. I don't know how much longer I would have lasted."

The merman chief nodded and said "Yew ah strong yung one. Yew cawy the air ov yor ancestor. Yew will do fine."

Harry bowed to the chieftain as he slipped back under the water.

Harry sat holding the new wand for quite a while as he tried to get a grasp on what happened. The feeling he got when he first held the wand in his hand was indescribable and he needed time to sort it out. Megan taught him meditation when she was teaching him occlumency so he slipped into a trance to try and focus his mind better. Once he had done this, he felt the cloak in his pocket react to the wand and subconsciously pulled it out and over him. When this happened, his whole world went wild as information started assaulting his mind. The long history of the cloak went through his mind and he watched as generations of Potters used it over the years. Towards the end of the session, he saw a man that looked a lot like him use the cloak to conceal a wounded wizard in what appeared to be a fierce battle. The next flashes he got were of his father and the Marauders using it to pull pranks and stay out of trouble. As the memories were slowing down, he watched as the headmaster used the very wand he held to poke and prod the cloak to try and discover its secrets. In the last image, he watched as he opened it and the cloak was almost joyous as it was once again in the right hands.

No sooner than the cloak finished, he was watching the bloody history of the wand until it finally came back to the hands of the family it belonged to. He learned that the wand needed someone with a lot of power to wield it which meant that the Potter line was about the only family line that produced wizards powerful enough to wield it. He watched a scene that showed his grandfather as he lay dying as Albus Dumbledore stood over him. He watched Albus reach for the wand only for Charlus to use the last of his strength to banish the wand into the Potter family vaults. It remained there until the faces of Albus Dumbledore and Bearclaw appeared above it and the wand was forced into the service of Dumbledore. Harry was horrified at all the things Albus had done with the wand and how he had used it to bend people to his will through curses and charms. Harry felt the happiness of the wand because now that Harry had laid his hands on it, it was able to purge the evil it had done with Albus and Harry felt as if the wand felt relieved that it was back in the hands of its family.

As he sat there in meditation, a symbol appeared in his mind and he felt a pull to the south. The feeling he got was that he wasn't complete and once he was restored whole, the family would regain its rightful place in the world.

**LC**

The families made their way out of the anteroom and out onto the grounds. As they were walking around, Cho joined up with them and greeted the adults after giving Cedric a quick kiss on the cheek. As they strolled around, they found Megan staring at the lake intensely. Reginald asked "What are you doing sweetheart?"

Megan sighed "I know Harry is out here, I can feel him but just can't find him."

Luna said "Oh well that's easy, he's right over there on his rock."

"No he's not Luna. I can plainly see that he is not on his rock. I looked there first."

Luna giggled and skipped off towards the rock. When she got there, she sat down and started a conversation. "Hello Harry, I know we've never really met before but your girlfriend knows you're out here and is getting quite frustrated in her attempts to find you."

A voice came out of the air "Oh, I didn't notice, I was kind of in a trance."

Luna giggled "You've got to hate it when that happens of course it happens to me all the time."

"How so? And how did you find me?"

"Well, don't tell anyone but I'm a little on the crazy side because I can see stuff no one else can. I kind of zone out at times and as to how I found you, well you're putting off some serious vibes."

"Well at least it wasn't the nargles that told on me."

"You know about the nargles? Damn, I thought that was my secret."

Harry chuckled "Megan has told me all about her cousin. She said it was one of the things you liked using against her."

"Oh you rat. You cheated!"

"I'm no cheat. I just use the information I am given to my advantage. Well, is she mad? I'm kind of scared of a mad Megan."

"No just worried about you. To tell you the truth, I think the Regulan Blood Worms are finally getting to her."

Harry started laughing. "Is that the best you can do? You know I've seen Star Trek too."

"Shit! You're no fun. Now I have to do more research and find some new material."

"Tell you what, if you promise to not tell anyone, I'll take you to my secret hiding place. It has the Sci Fi channel and about four hundred others."

"Would you really? I'll do it as long as you don't let Cedric or Megan watch. It gets hard making up new weird crap to use on them."

Harry was really laughing and pulled off his cloak. "I like you Luna. I think we're going to be good friends."

"I don't think so mister. You'll ruin my reputation. The only way you can hang around me is to be family but I think you've pretty much got that covered with that Potter bond thing."

"Yeah, I guess I'm stuck with your cousin. Do you know how it works? I mean, can I switch to someone else? Now that I've found you I don't know if I can live without you."

"It's too late for that Mr. Potter. You had your chance before you bedded my cousin. Besides, there's no way I want Mistress Megs mad at me."

"Me either. Well, I guess we should join the others and thanks Luna."

"Anytime Harold. I will always be here to talk with you even if it is about serious things."

**LC**

As Megan was starting to get frantic and Luna wasn't really helping, Kathleen watched her for a minute before asking "Is there something you want to tell me Megan?"

Cedric chuckled and she turned and asked "What? You didn't tell?"

He replied with a smirk. "Oh no, I wanted to watch this for myself."

Megan grabbed her mother's hands and asked "Um…mum, have you ever heard of the Potter bond?"

Her mother gave her a smile and chuckled "Is that what you think this is? It's just a myth."

"No mum, it's real. I can feel it drawing me to him."

With eyes sparkling, Kathleen replied "No baby, you're just in love and both of your magics are responding to each other."

It was about this time that Megan saw Luna and Harry approaching while holding hands. She broke away from her mother and ran to Harry hugging him tightly.

As Kathleen watched the scene in front of her, Celeste came over and whispered "I can't believe you didn't tell her the truth. You know as well as I do that the Potter bond is real."

"I know and I do feel bad for lying to her but I remember what happened when Lily and James connected. She was pregnant before she knew it. I'm too young to be a grandmother yet."

"But you're not against the pairing?"

"No, of course not. I'm rather proud that my daughter caught a Potter man. Lord knows how many of us tried to snag James before he decided on Lily."

"Cedric thinks the world of him and said that he was the only young man in this school that was worthy of her."

"I can see that. Have you ever seen Megan acting girlish and being happy about it?"


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Nope and never will.

AN: Again, I thank you for the reviews. I would also like to especially thank Cateagle and Aealkat for their suggestions and help as I work things out in this story. I've tried to write Harry to show him coming out of his emotional black hole. Cedric played a part but it is largely due to Megan and her unwavering support of him. The love of a good woman can do many things and she is gently pushing Harry into being the man he needs to be.

I would also like to add that my version of the third task takes on a different flavor than the rest of the story and I hope you don't totally hate it. It was time for James' genes to finally show themselves.

Chapter 8

The rest of the morning was spent wandering around the grounds as the adults told stories from their days at Hogwarts. Cedric and Megan's parents even added some about Harry's parents which he was very grateful for. The stories he had been told in the past were always slanted to show how heroic they were but never told about the people they really were. As they talked, Harry began to think that Poppy was right and Megan was really a lot like Lily.

At one point during the morning, Megan pulled Luna aside and said "I don't know what you did but thank you. I expected Harry to be rather hard to calm down."

"It was easy, I just shooed the nargles away and he calmed immediately."

Megan glared at her before Luna added "I was happy to. He wasn't so bad when I got there but I think you need to make some alone time for him. I get the feeling that something about that wand left him unsettled."

Megan pulled Luna into a hug. "I will."

Lunch time quickly approached and the champions were called back into the anteroom. As they made their way, Harry tensed up in expectation of another confrontation. He soon found Reginald placing his hand on his shoulder and asking "You want us to scout it out before you go in there?"

Harry nodded his head and muttered "Yes, thanks."

Luckily, none of Harry's 'family' stayed around for another round and the meal was enjoyed by all. The only detraction from the whole dinner was when the judges decided it would be a good idea to spend the time in the company of the champions and their families.

When Dumbledore sat directly across from Harry, he had flashbacks from the memories the wand and cloak had shown him and he immediately stiffened. Harry had an epiphany that it wasn't Harry's life he was trying to ruin but that of the Potters in general. He had no proof but he now felt that Dumbledore was somehow involved in the death of his parents. The question was did he do it himself and blame Tom or did he point Tom in the direction he needed him to go. From the lessons with Daphne, Megan, and Cedric, he made a leap in logic and came up with the theory that Harry's life was being maneuvered so that he would die. With Sirius out of the picture and Albus firmly in place as his guardian, he had probably placed himself as the beneficiary of the Potter estate. The problem was that he couldn't get the answers to his questions until he was able to take control over his house. He fully expected to see a will signed by him giving Dumbledore everything including the title of Lord Potter.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became so that finally he couldn't stomach looking at the man. Harry shot Albus a look of pure loathing and then excused himself. As he stood, Megan excused herself as well and grabbed his hand before he made it out the door. Once they exited, Luna jumped up and said "I'll go chaperone."

Cedric's extended family realized that Dumbledore's presence was the reason for Harry's hasty departure and they shut him out of the conversation and refused to answer any questions he posed to them. The foreign families were well aware that something was going on beneath the surface and opted to stay out of it by conversing in their own language.

The Great Hall was full of boisterous students who were excited to have no classes the rest of the day. The talk was of the third task that would be held that evening and who they thought would come away with the win. Most of the students were caught by surprise as Harry burst out of the door to the anteroom and made his way quickly to the doors leading to the entrance hall. Some of Harry's housemates looked rather down as he made his way past them without even acknowledging their presence and at least they had the sense not to push the matter. Hermione was a different matter. She tried to use his appearance to her advantage and stood and stepped out in front of him. She said "Good luck Harry. I know you'll do great."

Harry was in no mood to deal with her and tried to sidestep her only to be blocked once more. Harry sneered at her and said "If you're so sure of my performance, I hope you used your hard earned money to place a bet on me and maybe increase your savings."

"But Harry?"

"I don't want to hear anything you have to say Miss Granger. It's all about the choices we make. You and your friends chose to not believe me and then made me an outcast. I have decided to return the favor and nothing you say to me will ever make a difference. A true friend wouldn't do that." Harry and Megan stepped around her and continued on leaving Hermione standing alone.

The words cut through her and she realized at that point that nothing she could say would ever change his opinion of her. She thought back to her short visit with her parents this morning and how they told her that Harry said that he knew her well to know that no one could ever make her do anything unless she wanted to. They made it quite clear that her excuses were not going to work with either him or them. Hermione knew she was falling in love with him at the end of last year. When they reunited after summer holidays, she knew that he felt the same way and was giving him time to say something when the Goblet happened and she had thrown it away. It was his words that told her he was fully aware of her betrayal and there would be no going back. If one thing was obvious, Harry had moved on and was starting to thrive with his new friends and girlfriend. Maybe it was time for her to do the same so she was now going to seriously consider taking her parents offer and finding a new school for next year. She only hoped that she would get accepted after news of her actions got out.

As with all things Harry Potter, their exit did not go unnoticed by most of the occupants of the Great Hall. Daphne saw it and considering how close Harry and Megan were getting, damn that lucky girl, she guesses that they were going to spend some time alone before the task. Daphne really didn't think anything about it until she saw Luna moving quickly and with purpose not too far behind them. She knew Luna well enough to know that she never moved like that unless something was up. She waited a few minutes before finishing up and exiting the hall as well. As she stepped out the doors of the castle, she saw the little blond heading down to the lake and followed her to what she knew was Harry's rock.

Harry looked up at her approach and said "Good, I was trying to figure out a way to get you out here. I need all of your help working through some things."

"No offense Luna but do you think she needs to be here for this Harry? I know she won't reveal anything, well not that anyone but you could probably understand but secrecy has worked well for us so far."

Harry looked at Luna for a minute before saying "Yeah, I think she does. I don't understand some of it and Luna's unique way of looking at things may give us the insight we need."

Luna stuck her tongue out at her cousin before sitting next to Daphne.

Harry said "It all started with the wand this morning. That glow was weird and I actually felt the wand bond to my core. It wasn't anything like when I got my holly wand."

Luna asked "May I see your wand Harry?"

He snorted at her but pulled it out of his wrist holder. When he handed it to her, she studied it for a minute before saying "This wand has a very old magic feel to it. When I found you earlier, you said you were in a trance. What did it show you?"

He hesitated for a minute before saying "I saw the history of the wand as it passed through different hands through the ages. The older ones were a blur because they went by so fast but I could almost feel joy from it every time it was in the hands of a Potter."

Luna looked dreamily off in the distance and said "The Potters are descended from the Peverells. Did it react with your cloak?"

"Yes."

"May I ask what the cloak showed you?"

"It has never left the Potter line except once. Dumbledore had it after dad's death. How he got it I don't know but it was given to me in first year. I don't think it ever worked for him."

Megan asked "Has anyone else ever used it?"

"Not without me. I have two things of my father's and I don't just lend them out."

Daphne said "This is all interesting Harry but there's got to be a reason for your needing to talk."

"Are there any stories of how Dumbledore got this wand?"

Megan said "Rumor says he won it from Grindelwald."

Harry sighed "Well, that may be what he told everyone but, he killed my grandfather trying to get it from him. My grandfather used his last bit of magic to banish it to the Potter vault so that Dumbledore wouldn't get it."

Daphne said "Yet he somehow managed to gain possession of it and kept it until you took it from him."

"Yes, the wand showed me a lot of things but not everything. It slept in the vault until it was awoken by Dumbledore with Bearclaw watching. They did something to force it to serve the Headmaster. The only problem is that I have no time reference to go by. Was it before or after my parents were killed?"

Megan was following his thinking and said "You think Dumbledore set up your parents to be murdered so he could get control over you and the family vaults. He made sure there was no resistance to his plans and everyone who could have taken over your guardianship managed to be incapacitated in some way."

Daphne said "Whoa now, that's a pretty big leap."

Harry said "You're not operating with the complete set of facts either. Could all this be real?"

Luna replied in a soft voice "Men have been willing to do anything to have possession of that wand."

Daphne asked "Elder?"

Luna just nodded her head.

Megan said "Those are just children's stories."

Luna said "And yet we have a wand that has a long and bloody history. We have the perfect cloak that has been passed down from father to son for generations and yet it has never lost its abilities. And we have an old coot that has always been interested in the subject. He even talked to my father about it one evening and if I remember right, he was asking his opinion on what the stone could be."

Harry asked "What are you talking about?"

Megan said "The Deathly Hallows. They are supposed to be three incredibly powerful magical artifacts that when united would give the holder the power over death."

Luna said "Let's assume you have two. Can you feel the third?"

"I feel my magic pulling me back towards England."

Daphne said "If Dumbledore killed to get it once, he might try again."

Harry said "It's possible but I don't think that will be the case now. The look in his eye this morning when it bonded to me was one of resignation and he knows that I have possession of both items now and they both work for me. Maybe he thinks they'll give me some protection from death already. That's what I needed to talk to you about. I think he has been setting me up to die since my parents did and I keep surviving somehow. I have a feeling that even if he got his hands on the objects now, they still wouldn't do what he expects. He may try to force them to work for him but it wouldn't be the same as the objects bonding to him."

Luna said "So you think that the power of the Hallows would die when the last person in the Peverell line dies."

Harry looked down and said "I don't think the power would die. Maybe it needs the Peverell blood or magic to activate it. Maybe giving me the cloak was an experiment to see if it would work for me."

Daphne said "He's probably set up a will in your name and named himself as your beneficiary. He wants control over House Potter who is technically the last great light house. The presence of Bearclaw half way confirms this."

Luna said "No, he wants House Peverell. That would be the key but it wouldn't be that easy or else he would have never given you the cloak."

Harry asked "So do you think this is too far fetched?"

Megan answered "Everything he has done to you reinforces the theory and the fact that he killed you grandfather supports it. If we had proof about your parents, I'd say it would be definite."

"So what do we do about it?"

Daphne said "I don't know Harry. Let's give it some thought but it's not really something I think you would want to be known. I'm honored that you would trust me with this."

Harry smiled "Why wouldn't I trust you Daphne, you're my friend and friends help each other. All of you have done so much for me so I think I should repay the favor."

Daphne said "You know you don't owe us anything."

Harry said "I know but you and your families have been the first real support I have ever had. I wouldn't feel right about destroying your family fortunes."

Megan gasped out "What are you talking about Harry?"

"Tell your families that they need to start quietly moving everything out of Gringotts this summer. They are up to their necks in this whole thing and if I have my way, House Potter will no longer associate itself with them any longer than I have to which means I will be taking everything I am entitled to out of their hands."

Daphne said "That would be problematic for them. I don't know numbers but rumor has it that they use Potter money to fund most of their endeavors. It was an agreement set up in the beginning when they helped the Goblins get their start just like they have done for many families."

**LC**

They got up from the rock and began walking around the grounds lost in thought as the final task approached. Luna led them to a small tent and said "I think we need to be here. Go inside."

Megan stuck her head in the tent flap and then with a smile, quickly tugged Harry inside. Once the four stepped in, they found a large conference room where all of their families were talking. As soon as they were noticed, Reginald jumped up and said "Ah there you are. We were hoping we'd get a chance to speak again today. We would like your input on a few things before we make any moves."

Harry replied "I'm sure I would be fine with anything you decide as long as Megan, Cedric, and Daphne agree to it. They have done a really good job of preparing me but as this afternoon showed, I still rely heavily on their advice."

Megan took Harry by the hand and personally introduced him to each and every person that Harry didn't know. When she sat down, she said "I thought it would be easier if Harry was not talking to strangers. We've all had the advantage of knowing each other for years where Harry has not. I apologize for this Harry but his biggest fear is looking like a fool in front of you and you thinking he's not worth your time."

Cecelia Diggory rose and walked over to Harry. She placed her hand on his shoulder and said "You never have to worry about that. Our children believe in you and we know how ill prepared you are for all that you face. If that isn't enough, James and Lily's son could never be unworthy in our eyes."

Reginald Jones said "Yes Harry, don't worry about that. My daughter seems to be making her intentions quite clear so you'll at least always have House Jones to back you up."

Megan blushed as several people chuckled at his comment. Harry merely nodded and took them by surprise. "The day Megan came into my life was the day my life started turning around. I would be lost without her."

As a joke, Cedric said "Look out Uncle Reg, you'll be writing up a betrothal contract before long."

Playing along with Cedric, Harry said "That may not be a bad idea but it will have to wait until I have more say in the affairs of my house."

Megan stared at him with a wide smile. Daphne laughed and said "Our families don't do that kind of thing anymore Harry. We just told you about them in case you had to deal with one for being from such an old family. You just basically said you intended to marry Megan. Do we need to go back for more lessons because I know you were taught to watch your words more carefully?"

Harry gave Daphne that smirk that infuriated her and said "I learned my lessons well my dear sister."

As soon as she processed what had been said, her eyes grew wide and the room got very quiet. Harry had made two very pointed comments regarding Megan and now Daphne. His referring to her as his sister publicly was the closest thing to an adoption between the ancient houses without actually sharing blood especially when he made the claim in front of several Lords including her father. Megan reacted by giving him a passionate kiss in front of the whole group and after they finished, it was quite clear of her thoughts on the matter as she could have been facing Harry's horntail and the smile still wouldn't have come off her face. When Megan was finished with him, the normally stoic Daphne was out of her seat and pulled him into a hug as well. She said "I feel the same way about you to. The brother I never had."

Megan turned to her mother and said "By the way mother, the next time you decide to try and convince me of something, make sure you aren't contradicting yourself. You and Aunt Cecelia used that particular example when you were talking about the arcane magic tied to Most Ancient and Noble Houses."

Kathleen sputtered and Cecelia just chuckled at her. When Reginald gave her an inquisitive look, Luna said "Aunt Kathleen tried to convince my cousin that the Potter bond wasn't real but yet we have Megan here who has never acted as a girl in her whole life now being all girly and prettying herself up."

Harry emphatically said "I thought she was beautiful before she did all this."

Megan kissed him once more and said "Thank you Harry."

He pulled her close and said "You said we had some things to discuss."

Jonathan Greengrass said "I'm impressed daughter. You three have done a remarkable job."

Daphne nodded at the compliment and replied "We were fortunate to have good stock to work with."

Reginald said "Well, now that I've got my voice back, I think we will leave that discussion for later. That is my daughter you are talking about and she is only fifteen. I think that is far to early to be considering that, bond or no bond."

Harry smiled and said "Yes Sir. I completely understand as I'm sure Megan will be giving me the same look Kathleen is giving you now when I react to some young man nosing around our fifteen year old daughter."

Kathleen stopped her glare at Reginald and looked at Harry with a smile that went all the way up to her eyes. "Oh well done Harry!"

Harry flashed her a grin before Reginald cleared his throat. "Yes well getting down to business, we have been approached by several families due to our association with you. Augusta Longbottom and Amelia Bones came to me in the hope that we could repair the damage that has been done. They made it very clear that they are not happy with the actions of the heir and heiress of their houses and seek your forgiveness. They are willing to offer considerable concessions to avoid the termination of their alliances with House Potter. In short, they will amend their wills and grant you stewardship of both houses until an acceptable heir comes forward if their own heirs do not repair the rift between your houses."

Harry looked to Megan with raised eyebrows. She said "Merlin Daddy, Harry may have done well but you have to remember all this is maybe two months old to him. My Harry is no Crabbe or Goyle but you need to speak a little plainer for now. What he said baby was that Amelia and Augusta said that if Neville and Susan don't get their head out of their arse and fix things between you that they will assign a kind of guardianship of their houses to you when they die and it will be up to you to name the Lord or Lady of the house from Neville's and Susan's children."

Harry asked "Isn't that a little harsh just for pissing me off?"

Amos said "Not in their eyes Harry. The loss of the alliances would be a very bad thing. They would lose respect and become outcasts with no one willing to take a chance at trusting them. I doubt they would ever recover from it. A good example of this is the Weasley family. They violated an alliance several centuries ago and the family still has not recovered. Arthur is a good man but the stigma will forever be attached to the name. Their association with Dumbledore was helping to repair their image but the actions of the younger Weasleys have just reminded everyone of their previous betrayal. I find it amusing that the Weasley who caused their family's downfall in the first place was named Billius."

Harry looked into Megan's eyes and asked "What kind of a man would I be if I caused the same thing to happen to them as what happened to me this year?"

Kathleen said "A human one."

Harry asked "What do you think love?"

"That's an answer I can't give you but I will support you in whatever you decide."

Harry closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them, the parents could start to see the strong young man their children had said was inside of him beginning to emerge. "You said you wanted me to help you make our world a better place. I don't see how destroying two powerful political allies would make a good example of House Potter even though they may deserve it."

He smirked "In Daphne's world domination plan, she said the more people we could get to think like us; the easier it will be to effect those changes… Tell them that if they were to support the decisions of House Potter in the future, I will leave the alliances intact until we have time to discuss the matter further. Susan and Neville can't take their titles for two more years and that should give us more than enough time to come to some sort of agreement."

Lord Moon said "But neither can you Harry."

Harry's answer was just to smirk at him.

Lord Davis asked "Does this mean you are going to shift House Potter to the neutral camp?"

Harry said "Lord Davis, I'm not so naïve to believe that your help does not come with a cost. (Harry held up his hand to stop the protests.) I meant no offense by that and I know your intentions are noble. I really do appreciate all you have done and will do in my behalf but the fact remains that all of you want me in the neutral camp and that would be part of the cost of your continued support. I get that you need my house to further your plans and I'm alright with that. In fact, from everything I've learned of your views, I would support you anyway."

"It helps that your heirs have been upfront about it but they also made it clear that _their_ help was not conditional on my choices. (He looked at Megan.) Well one may be. The ability to choose how I live my life was something that has always been denied to me. I'm probably not being very clear so it all boils down to this one thought. The Light and Dark houses are responsible for taking my choices away so allying with either of them is unacceptable to me. That leaves joining the neutrals or standing alone. I've been alone long enough and it's not a place I choose to be anymore."

Reginald said "So you intend to force the alliances to follow you into the neutral camp?"

"Absolutely. I think it's only fair that if they want to stay in my good graces that they accept my point of view. I just have one question. Other than the whole sharing your view on things, what do your houses want from House Potter? What kind of debts or oaths are you trying to get out of by helping me?"

Lord Greengrass stood and applauded. "Bravo Harry. I'm not trying to embarrass you but that was very well thought out and spoken and at the same time, tactful but yet blunt at the same time. At that moment, I saw a lot of Charlus in you."

Harry responded by blushing. Daphne chuckled and said "Yes, very well done _brother_. If you continue in this manner I may not have to disown you. We will be having more lessons which include how to take a compliment without acting like Goofy and kicking then ground while saying 'Garsh'."

Harry shot her a glare for second before saying "You know my _dear sister_; you can be a right bitch sometimes."

Daphne laughed and replied "Why thank you Harry. I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"What really bothers me is that I missed this for almost four years." Harry said as he waved his hand around.

Megan said "That was because you weren't raised in the magical world although everyone believes you to have been. You came to Hogwarts and acted completely different to how we expected, you didn't dress your station, and you hung out with muggle-borns and blood traitors."

Harry looked at her sternly and said "I've never heard you say something like that before. That sounded just like Malfoy."

She looked hurt and Daphne jumped in. "You need to apologize to her now Potter. The Weasleys are considered blood traitors because they broke the alliance all those years ago. Is it a nice thing to say? No. But it is the truth and she didn't say it in an insulting manner."

Harry looked at her and said "Please forgive my ignorance love. It seems you still have a lot to teach me."

Megan gave him a half smile and said "No, I know how you felt about that phrase and I said it anyway. I should have used oath breaker or something similar. Forgive me?"

Daphne huffed "Oh please you two. Why don't you stick your fingers in your tea to sweeten it?"

Megan shot her a look and said "You're just jealous so shut it."

Daphne said "Getting back on topic, if you had grown up in the magical world, you would have come to Hogwarts already knowing most of the students except for the muggle borns. You, Neville, and Susan would have been practically siblings and you wouldn't have come hoping to find a friend and latching on to the first people to show you any attention."

Harry looked hurt at that comment. "I'm sorry my dear brother but you came as an enigma to all of us and any attempt to try and talk to you was met head on by Weasley and Granger. We wanted to be your friend but were pushed away every time."

Megan said "In a large way, they're responsible for the way Susan acts toward you. She tried that whole first year to get close to you and was told that you wanted nothing to do with her. Neville is just Neville and won't show enough initiative to make himself heard."

In a very small voice Harry said "They were paid you know."

Daphne asked "What was that?"

Megan answered "Dumbledore paid Weasley and Granger to keep everyone away and to report every thing Harry did."

"How do you know?"

Megan looked embarrassed. "Dumbledore isn't the only one with loyal spies."

Daphne chuckled "You mean Dobby told you. Harry, I don't know if you want us to do it but we can use this little bit of information to repair a lot of damage that has been done over the last few years. Most of us can clearly remember the harsh words used to keep us away from you and we all know now that they never came from your mouth. If anything, our friendship proves it. It won't fix everything but I'm sure Susan will eventually get over her crush on Cedric and pull her head out of her arse long enough to be willing to have a fresh start with you."

Cedric added "Leave me out of this. I tried getting through to her just as much as Megan did."

Harry replied "You are the political one. Do what you think is right. I trust you and it's not like I can really hide anymore. I also recognize the fact that to succeed in changing the world, it would be better if I made friends now."

The parents were watching the conversation being held and just sat back and listened. It was their hope that they could expand their group and planned to assist them in whatever way they could. In their eyes, they were watching the future unfold as the kids embraced the dream of literally changing the world. Jonathan Greengrass watched his daughter with pride as she set a new goal for herself.

Lord Moon finally asked "Who's Dobby?"

Harry called out "Dobby."

With a pop, he appeared right beside Harry. "Yes Harry?"

"Have I told you how awesome you are today?"

"No but you did say Dobby was the best after fixing Master Cedric's bad kitty."

"These people want to be my friends. What do you say to that?"

Dobby walked around the room looking at everyone. When he came back to Harry, he said "Dobby approves. Theys good people. Dobby thinks yous needs to watch out for the blond with big eyes. She bes trouble."

Harry laughed and said "Oh, I already know about Luna. She just may be my best friend but don't tell her I said that."

Luna spoke up "We are not friends Harry Potter. I already told you that I don't want you ruining my reputation."

"I love you Luna."

"I know."

"Hey, we've already talked about that."

She just smiled sweetly back at him.

Harry sat there for a minute before saying. "You once told me that Hogwarts was created not only as a magical school but also as a place to form friendships and alliances along with strengthening the current ones. The truth is I don't have a problem with most of the students at Hogwarts and now I find out that it is basically my fault for not making other friends. Did I like the way I was treated most of the time? Not really but other than whispering about me, most of them left me alone and my skin is not so thin that it really bothered me. My problem was with the people who claimed to be my friends and then weren't."

Tracey finally spoke up and said "Now that we have an explanation of why Harry Potter is the way he is. We can help."

Rebecca Greengrass said "The truth of the matter is that in most cases, the girls were sent to Hogwarts for the sole purpose of finding husbands. While the boys were making friends, so were we girls. Even though our husbands will never admit it, it is us ladies that hold the alliances together and create new ones because we like to visit while our children play with each other. It's these early friendships that spur closer relations between the houses. Don't they dear?"

Jonathan chuckled and said "Of course my love. I would be nothing without you."

She smirked "And don't you forget it."

"How could I my love, you remind me of it quite often."

Reginald leaned forward and whispered loudly to Harry "The secret to a happy life is to always make sure the wife is happy cause if momma isn't happy…"

Amos cut in and said "Ain't nobody happy."

Harry laughed "I learned that during week two. How long did it take you to figure it out?"

Kathleen laughed as she heard her husband mutter "A little bit longer that that."

Harry quietly asked "Were…did my parents act like you?"

Cecelia said "They were worse Harry. The bond made them very close and they loved each other a whole lot."

Kathleen added "They flirted so badly with each other even after they married that there was more than one occasion I had to go splash water on my face to try and cool down the blush. They even made Sirius blush on occasion."

Harry nodded and Lord Greengrass asked "Speaking of Sirius is there any truth to the rumor that you are listed as the heir to House Black?"

He realized he had made a mistake by the stormy expression that formed instantly on Harry's face. "I wouldn't know anything about that just like I really don't know the full details about House Potter. Is Sirius Black my godfather? Yes! Is he innocent of the charges against him? Yes! Does he have any children? Not that I know about but we are talking about Sirius. Do I plan to ever have anything to do with him again? No! He wasn't directly responsible for my parents' deaths but he had his part in it. He also hasn't been there for me my whole life. I blame him for your having to educate me of my station in life."

Lord Greengrass asked "What do you mean?"

"I realize he was in Azkaban for twelve of those years but when my parents were killed, he handed me off to Dumbledore so he could chase and get revenge on the real secret keeper. Last year, I saved him from the Dementors and he repays me by ignoring my pleas for help when my name came out of the cup. All Sirius Black has shown me is that he is a self centered child who didn't care enough about me to do what he promised. He's also shown that he will defer to Dumbledore and will not stand up for me at all. At this point, he, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew are traitors to the Potter family and will never be accepted as anything but."

Reginald said "Peter Pettigrew is dead."

"Then it amazes me that the rat was standing in front of me last year breathing just as I am now and confessing to his crimes against my family."

Megan shouted "Please drop this subject. We don't need it today. We can hash this out over the summer."

Amos said "I agree. Cedric and Harry need to go into this thing without all these burdens weighing them down. There are some other matters we need to discuss but we can do that over the summer. Judging from the sound of things, we may need to bring Amelia in on part of it."

Harry said "I have no problem with that. It will be a good test to see how badly she really wants to save the alliance. For that matter, invite Augusta Longbottom as well. It would be good for them to hear the depths to which Dumbledore was willing to go to control me."

Megan turned to him and said "Drop it Harry. Just leave it alone for now. And the rest of you, if you bring up anything else that will upset Harry; I will take him and leave this tent."

After a moment of uneasy silence, Kathleen asked "So Cedric, what is this symbol you and Harry have on your backs?"

Celeste said "As long as you've been around him and you never paid any attention to his comic books. It's the sign of the punisher."

Rebecca asked "Oh, does it mean anything?"

Cedric smirked "To Viktor Krum it might."

Harry said "I still say we conjure a cross and nail his arse to it."

Daphne said "Just leave his bits alone. I want Mandy to have the chance to remove those."

Lady Greengrass said "Daphne Elaina Greengrass! I will not have you speak like that."

Tracey snorted and said "Little miss perfect finally got caught."

After Daphne shot a glare at Tracey she said "Yes, Mother. My apologies for my crude language but it doesn't change the fact that it would be only right."

A small house elf popped into the room and stood beside Lord Greengrass. "Milord, you have visitors at the door."

"Do you know who it is?"

"Yes Sir, he announced himself as Jean Delacour and family."

Jonathan smiled "Well by all means show them in."

Jonathan stood and approached the door as the Delacour family entered. Jean stuck out his hand "It is good to see you again Jonathan."

"You as well Jean, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"

"I was hoping to have a quick word with Mr. Potter and then maybe discuss a mutually beneficial arrangement between my family and your coalition. But first, let me introduce my wife, Appoline, and my daughters, Fleur and Gabrielle."

Jonathan returned the courtesy by introducing everyone in the room. As he finished, Harry stood with Megan right beside him and asked "What can I help you with Mr. Delacour?"

"Jean, please, I wanted to thank you personally for what you did for both my daughters during the last task. It is the mark of a great man that willingly puts himself at risk for his fellow man. The closest description I could give would be a warrior like the Knights of old."

"I was glad to do it but I am no Knight. I am just happy that things turned out as well as they did."

"But surely Mr. Potter, such a selfless act that caused grievous injuries to you should not go unrewarded."

"Jean, my injuries would have happened whether or not I helped your daughters. The nature of them was of a personal vendetta towards me by Viktor Krum. As far as selfless actions, I don't see it that way. I saw a problem that I was fully capable of dealing with and I did. If I had not and something worse had happened, I would have suffered with the guilt of it for many years to come. It was thanks enough for me that they were safe and happy."

Fleur stepped forward "Mr. Potter, I wish to formally apologize for my attitude towards you at the beginning of the tournament. I have no excuse other than I am a bitch to people I do not know."

Megan and Daphne snorted at that comment. Megan made light of it by saying "Do you want to join our club?"

Fleur smiled "Thank you, I might. Still I gave no reason for you to help me and yet you did anyway. For that I am grateful and offer my sincere gratitude. Hindsight has also shown me that I refused your first offer of help and my stubbornness led to my failure. My first memory when I awoke was of you kissing me and in a life and death situation for a Veela that would normally lead to an unbreakable bond between us. I have yet to understand how that did not happen."

Harry chuckled "Well, I had the ability to help you by breathing for you. I never thought of it as a kiss or I would have put a lot more effort into it."

She blushed but smiled in return. Megan looked at him in shock. Harry chuckled again "The bond didn't form because I was already bonding with someone else."

Fleur looked to Megan and said "So it is true. You do love him."

"With my whole heart."

"Then I am happy for you both. If you ever need anything, do not hesitate to call."

Gabrielle stepped forward "I just wanted to say thank you. I never had any problems like Fleur because I knew I would be fine because Harry Potter was down there with us."

Harry smiled and got down on one knee. He held out his arms to her and Gabrielle rushed into the hug. Fleur asked "Where was my hug?"

Harry looked to Megan who nodded her head. When he hugged Fleur, she said "Do not worry, your lady put me in my place months ago."

Harry was hugged by Fleur's mother and thanked again by her father. Jonathan asked "You said there was another matter you wished to discuss?"

Jean said "Yes, this is directed towards all of you. I have heard rumors of problems facing House Potter and would like to offer my family's assistance in this matter. For me, it is a matter of honor for what Harry has done for my daughters as well my respect for his father. I was part of the contingent of French Aurors who came to assist during the war. I found James to be a kindred soul and would like to help in memory of that friendship."

Lord Davis said "I mean no offense but this is a British matter. In what way could you help?"

"I am the French representative to the ICW. If the matter managed to make its way that far, I would be glad to tie it up in discussion until the issue was resolved. I assume that the whole issue is protection until Harry can assume his titles."

Amos said "That is part of it but there seems to be many irregularities involving Harry's life. We are trying to make sure nobody takes away what should be his in a few years."

"And it wouldn't hurt if House Potter shifted back from the staunch Light side that Dumbledore has propagated these last fifteen years?"

Harry asked "Back?"

Jean smiled "Yes back, the political history of the Potters were more neutral than light even though they were always considered a Light family. I found that Charlus, James, and I shared similar views and I am most definitely considered neutral. My choice of mates has the purists on both sides shunning me where as the neutrals accept me and my family. The Potters may have been light but they were never Dumbledore followers. It still amazes me that James and Lily ever went to him in the first place."

Harry stared at him for a minute before sharing a glance with the three girls he had talked to this morning. "According to some information I received, the subject of Dumbledore was one of the few topics that ever caused my parents to argue and if you can believe it, it was my father who defended him. As I am still a child in the eyes of the law, I'll leave all these decisions to the more experienced minds of our little coalition."

Reginald said "Jean, why don't you and your family sit and relax with us and enjoy the time before the final task?"

"Thank you; it would be a most pleasant way to spend the rest of the afternoon."

As they sat, Fleur asked "What is with the skull on the back of your vests?"

Everyone in the room started laughing at her question until Daphne explained it. Fleur looked up and said "If you could arrange it, I would like one too. That bastard did the same to one of our girls as well. The only reason no one knows about it is because Madame Maxine sent her home."

Megan pulled Harry over to an armchair in the corner and sat him down and then climbed in his lap. With one arm around him and the other running through his hair, she made him relax and go into a meditative trance to mentally prepare for the task ahead. With her eyes closed as well, everyone thought they were taking a nap. They heard a small pop and saw Dobby appear and wave his hands to form a dome over the two young lovers. He then sat down cross legged on the floor as if he was guarding them.

**LC**

It was finally time for the task and six people made their way to the entrance of the maze together while their families went and took their seats. Megan and Cho were wrapped tightly around their men while Gabrielle walked beside Fleur holding her hand. Fleur's father had vetoed the idea of her getting her own punisher outfit so she was dressed as her Headmistress directed. Harry and Cedric no longer cared what their school thought but evidently their girlfriends were happy with it.

Harry stood and held Megan tightly. They expressed their love for one another and then sealed it with a passionate kiss. The catcalls were just enough to aggravate Harry and he showed his appreciation with a one fingered salute behind her back.

Cho had gotten better but was far more dramatic than Megan and it showed through the tears rolling down her cheek. After on last kiss, he said "Relax, I'll have Harry with me. We've got a plan so we'll be fine."

Harry said "I still vote for running into the maze, falling down and scraping my knee and sending up red sparks."

Cedric deadpanned "Well it's good we have a plan b then."

Megan held Harry's hand as long as she could and they broke apart as the girls turned to go to the stands, she said "Come back to me."

"Always, I promise."

The cannon blast went off for Cedric to enter and he turned and said "I'll be waiting." He stepped into the maze and vanished from everyone's sight.

As Cedric took a look around for a few minutes until he heard the second blast announcing Victor was in the maze. Cedric stepped back into the shadows just before Viktor passed. The look on Krum's face was more of a hunter than someone wanting to win the tournament. It was obvious that he was going to lie in wait and take out his opponents as quickly as he could. Five minutes later, the cannon fired once again signaling Fleur's entrance into the maze. As Cedric heard her approach, he stepped out from the shadows in time for her to see him. In a quiet voice he said "Watch out for Krum. I think he's going to try and take us out one by one. Harry and I will be right behind you so we'll keep an eye out for you."

"Merci, I don't trust him." With a small smile, she took off into the maze.

It was another five minutes before the cannon sounded once again and Cedric knew Harry was in the maze. He stayed in view and once Harry appeared, they wordlessly set off into the maze. They knew the points didn't mean anything in this task because it was all about getting the cup. It wouldn't have mattered anyway because all they cared about was getting out of this task alive. They did the research with Megan and knew this task was going to be brutal.

Their first obstacle was a boggart that revealed itself as a scene of horror for both young men. It was the broken body of Megan lying in a pool of blood. Her eyes were staring up at them without the normal sparkle. While it did affect them both momentarily, that quickly changed as Harry got pissed off. His new wand came out and an incendio was launched from it without a single word being uttered. The spectators grew quiet as a huge ball of flame rose above the top of the maze accompanied by a horrified scream.

Megan leaned over to her Mum and said "Something just pissed Harry off."

"How do you know? Is it the bond?"

"No, the explosion. He likes blowing things up with his wand."

"I'll warn your father and you young lady will be going on the potion tonight."

Back inside the maze, Cedric said "Um…Harry, you can't destroy a boggart like that. Fire spells won't hurt it. It's one of the rules we were taught in defense."

Harry was still looking at his wand in disbelief when he raised an eyebrow as the ashes that were once the boggart floated to the ground. "Rules smules. I'm the son of the only true Marauder and I make up my own rules. Cool wasn't it?"

Cedric laughed. "This might be fun."

Harry replied "Damn straight it will be. Now let's go destroy something else."

They started to walk off when Harry said "Hey do me a favor."

"Yeah"

"Just don't start quoting rules of magic or some such crap to me. And if you quote Hogwarts a History to me, I'll probably burn the whole maze down with you in it just to prove that book wrong."

"Don't worry; the Granger Bible is not on my list of preferred reading."

They rounded the next corner and heard a human scream. As they hurried through the maze, they ran headlong into one of Hagrid's blast ended skrewts. Harry said "I haven't been in class since November. Did anyone ever figure out how to deal with these things?"

"Yeah, stay the hell away from them. If the claws don't get you then that fiery fart will. You know, when this is over, I'm going to turn that bastard in for ever creating something like this. It has to be illegal."

Harry said "I've got an idea. Get its attention."

"Oh, I see, you're gonna feed me to the damn thing and then run past. I thought we were better than that."

"Just trust me or I'll have Dobby come in here and change you vest back."

"Dick"

"Not my thing but hopefully it's your sister's."

"I'm gonna tell her you said that."

"Whatever now draw its attention."

"Who are you?"

"Oh I didn't tell you? When Megan had me meditating in the tent, I thought about all that had been said about me and why I didn't have friends and I realized that I never encouraged anyone with me being just as self centered as I accused Sirius of being so I left the broody and serious Harry at the entrance of the maze. You're looking at the new and improved Marauder Harry who will make sarcastic and witty remarks while trying to create as much havoc as I can. The only thing I care about is seeing Megan again in that that thong I had the pleasure of seeing this morning."

"That's my sister you're talking about."

"Yep, now go on."

Cedric started and then stopped. He turned and said "I can't believe you'd say that about the girl you said you wanted to marry. I thought you loved and respected her."

Harry gave him a glare. "I do love her with my whole heart. As far as respect, I respected that arse so much this morning that I stood at attention and saluted it."

"Are you going to be like this all the time from now on?"

"Of course not, I know there's a time and place for this."

"And you think now is a good time for this?"

"Well now is better than if we had been in the tent talking about it. I'd hate to think what her parents would think of me if I'd said that then. Now, are you going to distract that skrewt or are you going to continue to talk about this until that damn thing comes over and farts on us."

Cedric moved away and the skrewt turned with him. Harry thought to himself 'Mum better have been right…um…Godric's sword, will you come here…please?'

A moment later, the sword appeared in his hand and he leapt into action. The right side claw was quickly lopped off and the skrewt started making a screeching noise. Harry tossed the sword in the air at Cedric who grabbed it and took the other claw off. The skrewt reacted by turning to its other mode of defense and turned its back to them. They could both see the creature was building up towards letting loose a fiery fart and Harry did the only thing he could think of. He fired an overpowered suturing spell that Poppy had taught him and sewed the orifice closed. The resulting fiery explosion scattered skrewt guts three rows over and gave the spectators a great show.

Kathleen turned to her daughter and said "Yes, you are definitely going on the potion tonight."

Megan looked at her mother and then giggled. "He's really good with his wand too. I'd bet they'd classify him as a mage with the way he handles it."

Kathleen put her hands over her ears and started saying "LALALALALA". Reginald was thinking the excitement was getting to be too much for his wife and hoped she would make it through the task. If he had known what his wife and daughter were talking about, he would have fainted dead away or else went into the maze after Harry.

As Harry and Cedric came around another corner, all fun and games stopped as they saw Krum had Fleur bound and had ripped her pants off. He was in the process of pulling down his pants when he heard two screams and saw the two Hogwarts student running towards him. Harry and Cedric's wands were out and firing spells before Krum could bring his up to defend himself. Cedric's spell connected with Krum and immediately tied him up in ropes with his pants still around his ankles. Harry didn't even cast toward Krum and Cedric saw why as a crucifixion cross grew out of the ground.

Cedric said "Um...Harry?"

"I don't want to hear it Ced. The bastard's going to pay!"

Harry went over to Fleur and released her from the body bind. He then waved his wand and conjured a robe to protect her modesty. As he helped her off the ground, she started sobbing and wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back and said "Its okay, you're safe now."

They remained like that for a while before Harry passed her off to Cedric. He then started stalking towards Krum when Cedric said "Are you sure you want to do that Harry?"

"What if it had been Megan or Cho or Luna for that matter? No, he's going to pay for what he did."

Harry cast a sticking charm to the cross before levitating Krum to it. A quick wave of the wand released the body bind and then Harry quickly used two more sticking charms to stick his arms to the cross beam. As he stepped away to finish the deed, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Not like this Harry. You're not a murderer."

Harry looked away from him and said in a low voice "What about what he did to me? What about what he tried to do to Fleur? Do you still think Mandy was a willing participant at this point?"

Fleur stepped forward and said "I will not have you killing him on my conscience. Just like you couldn't leave me, I won't let you do this. You both showed up before he could do anything except admire my goodies."

The serious moment passed as the three of them snorted at the same time. Harry asked "Goodies?"

Fleur smiled "Well would you prefer I said hoohoo as we do to my little sister or would you prefer the slang versions? I won't let you kill him but he's not going to get off without some scars. Harry, banish his cloak and shirt."

As soon as he did, Fleur's hand glowed for a minute with blue flames and her hand transformed into a fiery claw. She stepped up to Krum and used her talon to carve 'RAPIST' into the flesh of his chest. The flames also had the benefit of cauterizing the cuts as they were made and the scars could not be easily removed.

As soon as she returned to them, Harry asked "What do you want to do?"

"I'm in this thing to the end. He will not make me give up."

Harry chuckled "What about your pants?"

"What about my pants Harry? Do you want to see my goodies too?"

Harry shook his head and called for Dobby, when the little elf appeared, Harry asked "Can you go get Fleur some pants?"

When he nodded Fleur said "Black leather ones lying on my bed."

Once Dobby returned, she shimmied into her pants which both young men tried hard not to look at.

She smirked "Rethinking the whole bonding thing now Harry?"

"Not really but its hard not to appreciate a work of art. I'm just debating whether I would be able to concentrate if I were to take up the rear when we go." Cedric just nodded.

"Merci, but what do you want to do about him?"

"Leave him for everyone to see. If we shoot sparks and they come get him, they'll try to cover the whole thing up."

Cedric said "Come on, let's get this over with." They started to walk off but Harry stopped and turned around. As he approached Krum, Cedric asked "What are you doing Harry?"

Harry just reached for Krum's wand and then used his own to transfigure it into a dagger. He then took the dagger and stabbed it through Viktor's snitch catching hand and into the wood of the cross.

As he walked back over to his two staring companions, he said "I don't care what you say; the bastard is still getting off too easy."

As they ran through the maze, they were immediately thrown upside down in some kind of weird distortion charm. Fleur said "I've heard of this, just keep moving forward and we'll be okay."

Harry called out "Hey I've got a question. If we puked, which way would it fall?"

Fleur was in the lead as they went through that obstacle so that by the time Harry was in its full effects, she was already upright again and Harry was face first to her bum. He said "Hey Fleur, you know from this angle, your bum looks like a perfect heart."

Fleur laughed and replied "Still having second thoughts about the bonding?"

"I don't know. Do you wear thongs? I kind of like those."

She giggled and said "I'm sorry Harry, but I usually don't wear underwear. I don't like to cover my goodies if I can help it."

Harry smirked at Cedric and said "I can respect that. I salute you for it."

Cedric groaned and said "Will you two knock it off and focus on the task? And Harry, would you talk like that in front of Megan?"

"Not if I wanted my bits to remain where they are."

"Then knock it off."

"Yes Dad."

They progressed quickly through the maze as no obstacle or creature made an appearance until they came upon a sphinx. When she challenged them, Harry just pulled his new wand and tapped his arm with it. The sphinx took one look at the wand and felt the power that flowed out of it. She bowed to him and then stepped out of the way to allow them to pass.

Cedric whispered "What the hell was that?"

Harry replied "I don't know, maybe she heard about the boggart and skrewt and decided it wasn't worth it. I just pulled my wand in case she attacked."

As soon as they passed the sphinx, they found themselves in a clearing with the cup at the far end. As they walked, the hedges started closing in on them and they had to start running. Cedric moved ahead of them with his long legs and right into the path of an acromantula. Just as the spider was about to bite Cedric, Fleur conjured a fireball and hit it right between the eyes. The giant spider squealed in pain and ran away.

Harry and Fleur ran to Cedric to help him but he jumped up and said "Something has to be done, that man is a menace."

Fleur asked "Who?"

Harry said "Hagrid. He thinks things like giant spiders and those skrewt things are cute and cuddly. He might have the skin of a giant but none of the rest of us does."

Fleur chuckled "No wonder Maxine likes him so much. She won't be able to kill him during sex like she did her four husbands. He'd probably find her cute and cuddly as well."

Harry and Cedric looked at each other and said "EWWWW!"

They started walking again and stood before the cup. Harry asked "What do you want to do?"

Fleur said "You saved me from Krum so you both deserve it."

Cedric said "Well Fleur saved me from the spider so that knocks me out as well."

Harry said "Oh hell no. You aren't making me do that by myself. As long as Krum didn't get it I'm happy. I do not want to have to stand up there with those Bozos."

Fleur asked "Rock, paper, scissors?"

Harry said "Nah, we'd all be trying to lose and we would be stuck here all night and I've got plans."

Fleur asked "I'm hurt that you don't want to spend the night with me."

"Sorry, can I at least take a shower? I don't feel all that romantic covered in skrewt guts."

Cedric and Fleur both laughed and Cedric asked "All at the same time?"

"I'm not falling for that either. I'd grab it and you wouldn't. But I will tell you what I'm gonna do. I'm going to sit down and rest a bit."

The other two shrugged their shoulders and sat down as well. As soon as they leaned up against the pedestal, they were grabbed by a portkey and whisked away.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or make any money from this.

AN: Sorry it has taken longer than normal to update but I had to rethink some of the things I was doing. Big thanks to Aealket for listening to me and offering advice. As always, thank you for the reviews.

AN2: The character Connie Hammer is the creation of Old Crow. I read about the 'Inficio' curse in Rocag's The Champion's New Hope. I don't know if the author created it or not but that is where I saw it. As far as everything else, well you all know that we get our inspiration from JK Rowling and the other authors in here.

Chapter 9

The three champions arrived at their destination with a hard thump as their bums connected with the ground. As they rose, both boys noticed Fleur rubbing her rear from the hard landing and Harry managed to raise an eyebrow at Cedric. Fleur noticed what they were doing and let out a small chuckle.

"Like what you see gentlemen?"

Harry grinned and replied "What's not to like about you in leather pants?"

Cedric just nodded as they began to take in their surroundings. The sight before their wide eyes sent shivers up their spines as they took in the eerie graveyard. Harry looked up and saw the large tomb which had RIDDLE carved into it and said "Oh, this can't be good."

Fleur asked "What's wrong? Is this part of the task?"

"Definitely not part of the task. That tombstone is marked with the name of Voldemort's family."

Cedric said hopefully "Maybe the pedestal will take us back."

They all touched it at the same time and didn't feel the familiar tug behind the navel. Harry looked at his two companions and said "Um…guys…keep your wands out and be ready for anything. Better yet, you guys should apparate back to Hogwarts now and I'll get Dobby to come get me."

Fleur stated "We will leave when he comes for you. We will not leave you alone."

Harry heard a noise and motioned for them to be quiet. He quickly crept to where he could get a better view of their surrounding area and what he saw did not please him in the least. When he came back, he said "There's a group of people coming; we've got to get out of here now. Dobby, I need you!

It took a minute but Dobby finally popped in. When he arrived, Harry said "I need you to get us out of here now. I think we're in some kind of trap set by Voldemort. Can you take us?"

"Dobby sorry Master Harry but Dobby fought through wards to get here. Dobby can maybe take one at a time."

"Okay, Dobby. It's not your fault. I want you to take Fleur first. Fleur, when you get there, tell them what's going on."

She started to protest but Harry nodded to Dobby who grabbed her hand and popped away.

**LC**

When Dobby and Fleur arrived at the entrance to the maze, the crowd started cheering and the judges started announcing her as the winner even though it was obvious the cup was not in her hand. She took one look at the judges and thought Harry was right and they were useless. She turned and ran straight for her family as she knew that Harry did not trust any of them. With Fleur safely back at Hogwarts, Dobby disappeared once more.

Fleur arrived at her family and was gasping out "pedestal…portkey…Harry... Cedric…caught in Volde…morts trap. Grave…yard…name…said riddle"

The rest of the group were sitting around the Delacours and once she had gotten her breath back, Fleur was able to give them a better picture of what had happened and what the two missing young men were facing. Megan sat there in shock as she thought over everything she heard. The tournament had been dangerous enough for Harry and the other champions without Voldemort adding to it by a factor of ten. She sat there and silently prayed that Harry and Cedric would return as tears slowly ran down her face.

Amos asked "Were they hurt? Do you know where they are?"

"No, not when I left but Harry said someone was coming. All I know is that it was an old graveyard. Beyond that, I have no idea."

"They'll look out for each other. Dobby will bring them back and everything will be fine." Reginald said as he was trying to convince his self as well as the others.

Albus Dumbledore approached the families to try and find out what happened. "Miss Delacour, may I ask what is going on?"

She turned to him to answer but her father spoke up instead. "Headmaster, the three champions were portkeyed to a graveyard in an unknown location. Against her wishes, Mr. Potter ordered his elf to bring her back here to raise a warning."

"May I ask if you know who did this?"

What he got instead of a calm answer was Megan jumping up and getting right in his face. "Riddle has him all thanks to you. He would have never been in this position if you had done your job and protected Harry by keeping him out of this tournament in the first place. I have to ask, were you trying to get my Harry killed? I promise you that if anything happens to him, I will do everything in my power to make sure the whole world sees you for who you really are and what you have done."

Dumbledore knew he wasn't as all powerful as everyone believed. His age had robbed him of a lot of his power and he had only been able to maintain his image through the power of the wand that had now returned to the hands of its destined family. While he had experience, he knew if this young lady employed her emotions in her casting and attacked, she would overwhelm him and cut him to pieces so he backed away from the people who had stepped up in defense of Harry. Seeing the five British Lords start to rise from their seats brought forward the memory of Cornelius' threat and he would be lucky to finish out this term at Hogwarts. Albus turned and made his way to the judges table and did what everybody else was doing which was nothing. It was the final sign that he was now useless as he couldn't think of a single thing to do to help in the situation. His only consolation was that if Harry Potter died, the wand and the cloak might return to the main Potter vault.

Cornelius and Amelia were watching the whole scene for a minute before the minister went to the judges' table for answers and Amelia headed straight for Fleur. Once she had gotten some answers, she made her way over to join Cornelius. The pieces were put together and a plan was hatched even though Cornelius was trying to deny that such an event could be happening.

Amelia finally turned on Cornelius and said "Whether it seems impossible or not, we have to act. Three young people were kidnapped from the tournament and it is our job to try and get the last two back and investigate the matter. Master Auror Moody, front and center."

Alastair limped over to her and said "Yes Amelia?"

His response to her was way too informal in a public setting especially when she used his full title. The protocol for this situation required that he do the same. It sent a red flag up that something wasn't right here.

"Auror Moody, enact procedure 5-A immediately."

The man who had taught her stood there staring at her as if he needed an explanation. It was the final warning to her that something was definitely off about her long tome friend. Her wand came out and stunned him before he could move his hand. She knew she was quick but even at his age; Moody had always been able to beat her. She tied him up in magical ropes and pulled out her own badge. She tapped a series of points on her badge and then slipped it back into her robe.

It wasn't a minute later before swooshes of portkeys were heard all over the arena. As the crowds looked on, a sea of red robed Aurors made their presence known and took up defensive positions. Her two chief Aurors stepped up and asked "Orders?" after casting a glance at the stunned Moody lying on the ground.

"We have two boys in some type of situation. Unconfirmed reports place them in the vicinity of Voldemort. I suspect some dark ritual to resurrect the snake faced bastard. Team one's job is to try and locate them. Team two will remain on guard here until the situation is contained. Team two will also hold Moody in custody and not release his bindings. That is not the man who trained us."

Amelia turned to Albus and said "Headmaster, you have always had all the answers before so I'm going to assume that this was not part of the tournament. Do you have any idea where we might find our two missing champions?"

Her response was a blank look from Albus. "Rufus, the pedestal was a portkey. Call in anyone you need to and try and figure out where it went. I want teams three and four on alert to assist and to escort the students and spectators to the Great Hall until this has passed. Once they are inside, keep them there until you receive my order."

As the Aurors were in the process of following their orders, there was a loud pop and Dobby appeared one again. At his feet was an unconscious Cedric who was bleeding from multiple cuts all over his body caused by shards of stone of which some were still sticking out of him.

The Auror field healers responded quickly and were in the process of determining his condition when Poppy arrived followed by his family. Poppy waved her wand to get her own diagnosis and knelt beside him and started forcing blood replenishing potions down his throat as quickly as she could pull them out of her bag.

Cecelia stayed out of the way but asked "Poppy?"

"He's alive but barely. We'll do our best Celia. I won't give up."

One of the healers looked up after casting a diagnostic and said "He's lost too much blood and we're going to lose him if we don't get him to St. Mungos immediately. I know he is your charge Madam Pomfrey, but blood replenishers will not be enough. He's going to need real magical blood to help with this. Where are his parents?"

They stepped forward but Poppy cut them off. "Their blood will work for him but not well enough for what you want. His blood was changed at a young age."

The healer asked "Is there a better alternative close at hand?"

Poppy's eyes went to Megan as she rushed to Dobby and got down on her knees in front of him. "What happened?"

"Masters were taken to graveyard where bad wizards were waiting for them. Master Harry and Cedric protected each other until Master Cedric was hit. Master Harry made Dobby bring Master Cedric back. Dobby sorry Mistress but Dobby must return to Master. Dobby try to bring Master back soon."

Before he could leave, Amelia asked "Could you take someone with you? He can summon other Aurors to him to help Harry."

"Dobby sorry Mistress but Dobby getting tired. Dobby maybe have enough strength to save Master Harry."

Connie Hammer was thinking fast and ripped off her badge and handed it to him. "When you get there, tap the star and we'll find you. Can you do that?"

Dobby nodded his head but before he could leave, he was grabbed by Megan once again. As she knelt in front of him, she said "Bring my Harry back to me." He nodded his head, closed his eyes, and was gone again.

Poppy laid her hand on Megan's shoulder as she knelt there crying and said "Megan, Cedric needs you right now. When he made the oath to Michael, he truly became your brother due to the magic involved. He needs your blood and strength and you need to go to St. Mungos with him. He won't make it if you don't."

Megan looked up at her as if being torn in half with tears running down her face. Poppy could understand what she was feeling and said "I'll bring Harry to you as soon as he arrives."

She crawled over to Cedric and laid her hand on his arm just as the healers activated a portkey and took them away. As soon as the portkey left, Poppy turned to Cecelia and Amos. "You go straight to St. Mungos. I will be along as soon as Mr. Potter returns."

**LC**

As soon as Fleur was gone, Harry and Cedric were ducking and dodging to try and avoid the spells flying at them. They were battling with six Death Eaters that Voldemort had summoned to witness his resurrection and were doing fairly well at holding them off. Cedric seized an opportunity and cast 'Inficio' at the man leading the attack who was moving back into position after dodging a nasty bludgeoner from Harry. The spell flying from Cedric's wand was a sickly yellow color and struck the right side of the man's mask before he knew what hit him. The Death Eater screamed out in pain before tearing the mask from his face to reveal Lucius Malfoy with a blistered and burnt face. The hood covering his head and a good portion of the long blond hair on the right side of his face were now missing after being struck by the acid curse.

Harry muttered "Nice! I wish you'd have taught me that one."

Cedric muttered back "Thanks! I thought it would be useful on the hedges. Never thought I'd use it on a person."

In his fury at being hit, Lucius attacked without abandon and soon had the two younger wizards entirely on defense as the rest of the dark wizards jumped in as well. The two less experienced wizards didn't realize until it was too late that they were being herded to a specific point and once they were there, the Death Eaters were able to close in and dramatically reduce the effectiveness of the boys' attacks.

There was a brief pause in spell fire sudden quiet was enough for everyone to hear a voice hiss out "I only have need of Potter, kill the other. This has gone on long enough."

All at once, flurries of green spells were launched at Cedric. Harry instinctively knew what he had to do and his new wand came up bringing a solid wall of granite in front of Cedric in an attempt to block the spells. The 'Avada Kedavra' curse was known as the killing curse but it was also a spell of complete destruction and even the above average power Harry had along with the power of the wand were not enough to stop this.

When he saw the incoming spells Cedric stepped in front of Harry to protect him but breathed a little in relief when the wall went up. The last thing they heard were the spells impacting the wall before the force of the blast was enough to shatter the granite. Cedric took the full impact of the blast from his position in front of Harry but even with that, both young men were knocked off their feet. It took a moment for Harry's head to clear but when it did, he saw Cedric's body lying on the ground beside him with blood pouring out of the many wounds peppering his body. When he tried to shakily get to his feet, he felt a spell hit him and his world once again went black. It went unseen by his captors as he was lying on the ground but the wand in his hand faded from view only to be replaced by another that was more familiar to them.

He didn't know how long he had been out but Harry awoke to find himself bound to the very tombstone he arrived in front of and was watching as six wizards levitated a huge cauldron to rest atop a roaring fire. Harry's eyes went to the spot where Cedric was lying. He could see the body still barely holding on by the shallow breaths it was taking. He heard a pop of apparition and looked up to see Dobby standing beside Cedric's body. He yelled "Dobby, Cedric needs help. Take him now!"

The black cloaked wizards turned at the sound and watched as the elf grabbed the body and disappeared. One broke away and came to stand in front of Harry. The oily voice of Lucius Malfoy said "I'm so glad you have woken. It will be so much more pleasurable to watch as you observe my master resurrecting and then finally ending the legend of the boy-who-lived."

Harry snarled out "Couldn't do it yourself Lucy? Now I know where Drakey poo gets it from. He always hides behind his two apes or your robes. Tell me, are you going to say 'Wait till my master hears about this'? If you do, the very tiny bit of respect I have for you will be completely shattered."

"You will respect your betters."

"Betters? How can the Lord of a mere Noble house preach to the future Lord of a Most Ancient and Noble House about betters? As far as you are concerned, I left better than you in the toilet this morning after I took my morning dump."

Lucius was fuming but had to back away once he heard the laughing of his master. "I find your being bested by a fourth year quite amusing Lucius. Maybe you are not as powerful as you claim. Silence the boy and be done with it for now. We'll have a chance to catch up later."

With the spells in place that bound and silenced him, Harry could only watch as the cauldron began to bubble. When it was deemed ready, Wormtail stepped up and slid a bundle into the boiling water. He watched as something was said and bones rose from the ground at his feet and was dropped into the cauldron. He next witnessed Peter cutting off his hand and dropping it into the cauldron as he said something else. Harry was watching as all eyes fell on him and Peter came at him with the ritual knife in his hand. He felt the knife sink into his arm and felt the blood flowing out of him. He screamed into the silencing charm as Peter collected his blood on the knife and stepped back over to the cauldron. Once the blood dropped in, the potion inside flashed red and a cloud of steam was released. Harry watched in horror as the cauldron split in two and a very tall but pale body stepped out.

The next words he heard were "My wand Wormtail."

As soon as he was handed the wand, he waved it and robes formed around him out of the shadows of the graveyard. He stood there for a minute before saying "Lucius my friend, I have need of you."

Lucius ran up and knelt in front of his master. Tom said "Your arm Lucius."

When Lucius raised his arm, Tom pushed up his sleeve and pushed his wand into the wriggling snake and skull tattoo that resided there. Lucius sucked in a breath at the pain but did not dare move in fear of the punishment he would receive if he did.

Harry once again watched as black shadows appeared in the graveyard and coalesced into wizards. Tom looked around and frowned before saying "Welcome back my friends, thirteen years it has been since we were last together. Twelve years that were wasted because no one searched for me while you went back to your lives and hid your connection to me."

Wormtail said "I came for you master. I brought you back to your rightful place."

"Yes you did Wormtail, you have been very helpful to me this _last_ year and as promised, you shall be rewarded." He stepped over and pointed his wand at the stump on the end of Peter's arm and a blob of bronze grew out of it and formed itself into a hand.

Peter knelt and said "Thank you master."

"Yes so Wormtail found me and brought me back. He found others who were still loyal to the cause and brought them together resulting in us being here now. They will be rewarded handsomely for their actions along with my ally in Hogwarts."

"I must now confess my greatest mistake. (He pointed at Harry.) This boy did nothing to banish me except for possessing very special blood which I now have coursing through my veins. No my spell was rebounded on me not by the sacrifice of his mud blood mother but by something so much more powerful. Ancient family magic. Even in death, my superior intellect won as my shade realized what was going on and attached a piece of me to the scar on his forehead where I have been absorbing that magic ever since. My most faithful were here to witness me retaking a body and you are here to witness my victory over Harry Potter as I take his life and then absorb his family magic."

Tom stepped over to Harry and as he got closer, he realized the scar was gone. "What have you done? Where is the scar and the magic behind it?"

Harry just looked at him dumbly until Tom realized he was silenced. When he cancelled the spell, Harry said "I absorbed it."

"Impossible! Only a truly momentous sacrifice would overpower the spell."

Harry thought for a second and realized he was probably never going to walk away from this and let his Marauder back out again. "Well, I knew from my research and decided that a sexual sacrifice, like one's virginity, would suffice. I had my victim all picked out but found out from a spell I cast that the person was no longer a virgin. I cast another spell and found out who had taken it out of curiosity and let me tell you Tom, you have some sick bastards for friends."

Tom said "What the hell are you talking about boy?"

"Oh sorry, well I was going to use Draco's virgin arse as the sacrifice but the second spell showed him already having had it taken by his father. I knew you were a sick bastard Lucy but I mean, your own son? If that wasn't enough, it was obvious from the spells that Draco must have enjoyed it as he has been active ever since then."

"You little bastard."

"That's not the case and you know it. I'm merely an orphan since my parents were married unlike Tom's here."

Voldemort screamed "How did you do it boy?"

"Oh, I sacrificed a magical core. It was easy. Now the questions are, when did I do it and have you heard from your children lately?"

Harry saw the Death Eaters shuffle nervously. Voldemort yelled "Wormtail, give him his wand. It is time to put an end to this boy."

As Wormtail slapped the wand into Harry's hand, Tom said "Now bow to your betters."

Harry stood tall and said "I am Harry James Potter, Scion of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter. I have no betters and especially not some jumped up wanna be Dork Lord with delusions of adequacy."

"Then I shall kill you and lay claim to your titles."

Harry laughed "Then you'd better be prepared for a real fight as the line forms behind Dumbledore and goes on for quite a while I imagine."

Voldemort screamed in rage then yelled "Avada Kedavra."

Harry shouted back "Incendio."

The results were unexpected as both spells met and locked each of the wizards into a contest of wills. Magic flowed from the connection of the two wands and a glowing magical golden dome appeared and formed over the two enemies. Tom shouted "Don't interfere. He is mine!"

The Death Eaters watched as the two wizards strained and seemed to be in a magical version of tug of war as they tried to push the connection towards each other. Harry pushed with all his might and felt the connection moving but it was a long and tiring battle. He was slowly winning the battle and before long, specters started appearing out of the connection. The first was an old man who told Harry not to give in to the evil bastard. All at once, two spirits appeared and flew over to land beside Harry. In a voice he had only dreamed of, a female voice said "You're doing great baby. Don't give up."

In a voice he had only heard in a distant dreamed voice, a male voice said "We're going to help you but you have to trust us. We'll attack him and it will give you the chance you need."

Harry motioned his head towards the wizards outside the dome and said "Yeah but what about all them? I can't hold them all off."

His mother replied "Dobby is here and help is coming. We are very proud of you. Just follow your magic and we will see you again. We love you Harry."

"Please don't go. I need you."

James said "Just follow your magic son and it will always lead to us."

As they flew towards Voldemort, the Elder wand ejected into his off hand and was moving of its own accord. As soon as it was pointed in Tom' direction, Harry cast 'diffindo' and a bright blue cutting curse slashed against Tom's chest. It caused Tom to lose his concentration and his spell broke.

The results of the sudden end to Tom's spell caused the dome to explode outward and create a backlash that threw the surrounding Death Eaters from their feet. Harry shook it off quickly and the elder wand moved once more. Harry thought 'crytallinus tectum' and a beam of jade light flew from the wand and impacted Peter in the chest. The effect was quick and caused a block of crystal to encase Wormtail and take him out of the fight.

Just as the Death Eaters were trying to return to their feet from the effects of the blast, they were greeted with the sound of multiple apparition pops close by and the sound of running feet. They could see the red robes of the Aurors heading towards them already throwing stunners. Many of the Death Eaters climbed to their feet as best they could and hastily apparated out knowing that their Dark Marks would allow entrance and exit through the anti transportation wards.

The thought of Death Eaters had the Aurors rather jumpy and they threw stunners at anything moving. As some headed Harry's way, he threw up a quick shield that deflected them and then turned to cast a glare at them. He looked around, he saw Dobby lying on the ground panting hard. His lack of a core was a major disadvantage and he had worn himself out in his attempt to help Harry. Harry knelt down and gently picked up his friend.

Dobby looked up and gave Harry a weak smile. "Dobby just tired Master Harry. Dobby had to fight big snake. Dobby felt badness in it like Master's scar and Dobby killed it."

"Well, why don't I take care of you for a change? You did great today Dobby. I'm proud that you are my friend."

"Dobby proud to have Master call Dobby friend. Dobby thinks Master needs to follow his magic now."

Harry smiled "That's the second time I heard that today. What does it mean?"

Dobby replied "Do like Dobby taught Master and let magic takes you where magic wants you to be."

"So pop like an elf but let my magic be the guiding point?"

Dobby just nodded and then leaned his head against Harry's chest.

As the Aurors grew closer to the site of the battle, they were greeted with several body parts lying on the ground as some of the shaken and hurried Death Eaters managed to splinch their selves and leave evidence of their presence. Connie Hammer came on the scene and noticed an arm with a familiar ring on the pudgy feminine hand. She reached down and pulled up the sleeve of the robe to reveal a Dark Mark half way covered by a pink cardigan. With a slight smile, she directed her investigative team to start photographing, tagging, and bagging everything that was not natural to the environment. She then stepped over to a crystalline cube and was shocked at the individual encased within. She quickly slapped a portkey on it and sent them to a secret DMLE holding facility that was only accessible by the Director and her two chief Aurors.

Connie Hammer was a calm witch most of the time but the next event had her completely rattled. She made it to the center of the battle zone and saw Harry Potter picking up his little elf friend and start talking to it. Just as she spotted him out of the corner of her eye, she caught another figure sit up from his prone position on the ground and point his wand at Harry. Her full attention was now on the man thing in front of her and she immediately knew who it was. Due to her shock, she barely noticed the spell that flew right past her as it made its way to the young man she was just watching. As soon as the spell had been released, the man thing disappeared.

Before she could even blink, Harry blinked out of existence just like a house elf but not before being struck by the curse. She ran towards where he had been standing but there was no sign of him. She looked a little further past where he had been and noticed a dead giant snake that had a place on it that looked as if there had been a fire that burned from the inside out. She marked the snake and then turned back around to give her team their instructions. She left the Aurors of team one to guard the investigators as they did their job and sent team three to St. Mungos and anywhere else they could think of where someone might receive medical attention. The investigators continued until they were satisfied they had everything and once the evidence was processed, a magical trunk was set out and all the objects were placed inside.

**LC**

Harry was calling upon his magic and allowing it to lead him wherever it thought best when the spell impacted him and Dobby at the moment of departure. Under normal circumstances, whenever he traveled like this be it by himself or with Dobby, the trip was calm and fluid. This time, his magic went haywire and the trip was a twisted and panic filled tumble through the ether. He could feel the pull of where his magic originally wanted to take him but that site was bypassed by a stronger pull that was the cause of all his distress. The magic inside him was building and he could feel it reacting to things as he moved towards wherever he was being drawn. In the end, he resigned himself to the fact that his magic would protect him as he clung closely to Dobby in the attempt to not let go of him.

Dobby was doing his best to not let his fear overtake him so he clung tightly to Harry as well. Dobby understood magic and knew there was a higher purpose at this point and held on as he took comfort in the fact that whatever happened, he would be with Harry.

**LC**

Connie Hammer arrived back at Hogwarts by portkey and immediately appeared beside Amelia Bones. Amelia gave her a glance and said "Do you have a report for me Chief Auror Hammer?"

"Yes Ma'am, apparation and portkey wards were in place that deposited us a short distance from the site. We made our way on foot and encountered the remains of a major battle. I ordered our people in and we attempted to stun as many of them as we could."

"How many did your troops bring down?"

"None ma'am. Most of them apparated out as soon as they saw us. We have leads on some as they were not focused and splinched themselves and the scene is being processed as we speak. We have managed to gain possession of several objects that I have placed in an ultra secure location that will require your attention."

"So you're telling me that two teams failed to capture anyone?"

"Yes ma'am."

"What of Mr. Potter?"

"He was there one minute and then he just vanished with his elf but not before being struck by an unrecognized spell. Before you ask, the elf was too exhausted to do it as Mr. Potter was carrying him in his arms. It was my hope that he had returned here."

"So you're telling me that a fifteen year old boy apparated and not only that but did so from under anti apparation and portkey wards?"

"Yes ma'am. I saw him vanish; he did not turn on his heel or leave by portkey. He merely vanished much like a house elf does."

"Theories?"

"Yes ma'am but it doesn't make sense. It looked to me like he used house elf magic."

Amelia looked at her for a minute. "It has been said that most of his time in isolation this year was spent in the company of that elf. Would an elf teach him their kind of magic?"

"Not usually boss, Mr. Potter would have to be exceptionally powerful to be able to do it and the elf would have to have a very uncommon bond with him. "

"What is it you need me to come see?"

"I will not answer that here ma'am."

"Put out an alert for Mr. Potter. He will have to turn up somewhere."

"Yes ma'am and I also need to inform you that Voldemort is indeed truly back. I saw him myself."

Amelia stood there for a minute before saying "Shit. Inform the entire department that there will be a meeting tomorrow at say one in the afternoon. That should give us time to finish up here. It looks like the war will be starting up again."

**LC**

All across England, the magical detectors used to detect underage or any other type of magic were registering off the charts. The people who were on duty in the magical detection office that night watched as there was a large amount of magic detected northward in a town called Little Hangleton that hadn't seen any activity in fifty years. They were made aware that two Hogwarts students were located there and that there would be possible underage magic as they had been kidnapped. They watched as the magical detectors calmed down for a while until there was a huge surge that burnt out every detector in the area. What sent them into a panic was when the magical detectors started burning out along a path that led straight to London and the Ministry.

When Amelia made her call for the Aurors, other departments had stepped up their activities and the secretive Department of Mysteries had recalled their whole staff. This was in part due to Amelia's summons but it mainly had to do with what was happening in the bowels of the Ministry of Magic.

The Head Unspeakable was alerted to irregularities in his department and was in the process of checking them out. He made his way to the Death Chamber that held the Veil of Death because he had been alerted that it was acting strange all day. While this may not have concerned the normal wizard, Croaker knew something was up and it was too coincidental with the happenings in Northern England to be ignored. The Veil had been studied for a long time and they still had no answer as to why it did what it did or even how it operated. Croaker himself had spent much of his time as a researcher trying to figure out its secrets.

The Unspeakables had access to all of the information that was the Ministry of Magic and when the magical detectors started burning out, he had a hunch that whatever was happening would be centered on the Veil. He thought back over his years and it was times like these that he missed his old friend Charlus Potter the most. Charlus had a unique understanding of the Veil and never seemed to be intimidated by it. Croaker found it too coincidental that his friends' grandson was somehow involved so he entered the chamber and sat to wait for the events to unfold.

It wasn't much longer before the reports were coming in that the magical detectors were burning out in London and heading straight for the Ministry. He sat and watched as the Veil started acting, for lack of a better term, more excited and was moving and swirling in patterns that had never been seen before. Croaker felt the magic in the room change and then watched as a young man appeared as if out of thin air but he knew it was just Charlus' old cloak being pulled off. The young man stood there staring at the Veil and what appeared to him as listening to the voices that were undecipherable on the best of days. As he looked more closely at the young man, he could see many cuts through the tears in his clothes. As he continued to watch, he saw the young man's hand had blackened as if being hit by a withering curse. Croaker's eyes moved towards the young man's face and could already see that the withering curse must have been cast by a powerful wizard as the effects had moved up his arm and black tendrils were already showing branches moving up his neck.

Harry Potter took a step towards the Veil and Croaker rose from his seat. As he moved forward, Harry started glowing with a golden aura which grew brighter the closer he came to the arch. The arch reacted to his presence and the mist like substance changed into what looked like water. Harry stepped up on the platform and was standing three feet away from the surface when Croaker reacted and ran towards the young man. He saw Harry say something to the elf in his arms before stepping through the archway. He heard an audible slurp as Harry disappeared and the surface started fading back to the calm mists that had always been present.

**LC**

Back at Hogwarts, the ministers had decided that the task was a bust and ordered the hedges to be removed. As soon as they disappeared, the image of Viktor stuck to a cross left all the spectators in shock. As the crowd gathered around, Fleur along with her family pushed their way through the crowd and stood facing the ministers, judges, and spectators. The Bulgarian minister asked "What is the meaning of this?"

Fleur stepped forward and said "This is repayment for what he tried to do to Harry in the second task along with what he tried to do to me during this one."

The French minister asked "May I ask what he tried to do to you Miss Delacour?"

"As you can see by what is on his chest, the bastard put me in a body bind and then ripped my pants off. He was just about to take me to try and stake a claim on me when Harry and Cedric saw what was happening and came to my rescue."

Albus asked "May I ask why he is like this?"

"It's simple; I would not allow Harry to kill him for his actions as I didn't want that on my conscience or his."

Jean Delacour stepped forward. "I claim reparations for my house as it is clear Mr. Krum attempted line theft as Fleur is the heiress to my house."

Cornelius said "That is stretching the line theft clause a little too much isn't it. After all, she is only Veela."

Several people bristled at that comment and the five Lords who had surrounded Harry stepped forward. Lord Greengrass said "While that may be so, I would act in a similar fashion if the same attempt had been made on my daughter. House Delacour has our full support in this matter and we back his claim for restitution."

Cornelius didn't know what to do and turned to Amelia. She stood there for a second before saying "Since Miss Delacour is the Heiress for House Delacour, ICW Statute 48-C recognizes attempted rape as an attempt at line theft. Under these statutes, the injured party has a claim for restitution. The statutes also are not specific in what they may ask for in restitution so they are well within their rights to ask for anything up to and including the life of the guilty party. As we are dealing with an international situation and all three countries involved are signatories, I think it is best to use these statutes."

She looked at the three ministers and after a few minutes, they all nodded their agreement. She turned to Jean and said "Monsieur Delacour, the three ministers agree to your right of restitution and all I ask is that I be given a pensive memory of the crime in the event we need more evidence to support your claim."

Fleur said "I find that acceptable. You may also want to have several other memories collected to back up my claim."

Amelia responded "Yes, we will obtain memories from Mr. Diggory when he recovers as well as Mr. Potter whenever we locate him."

Everyone turned to her in shock and she realized she had let something that was not known to be public knowledge.

Cornelius turned and said "Explain that last comment!"

With a false sigh of resignation, Amelia explained everything she knew about the recent events to the gasps and amazement of everyone surrounding her. Her eyes briefly caught Lord Greengrass' and she sent him a little smile as he gave her a small nod as if to say 'well played'. He was well aware of the restrictions on what she could say and she had masterly maneuvered Cornelius into asking her to reveal information that would normally be hidden.

When she was done, she asked "Monsieur Delacour, have you reached a decision?"

"Yes I have. I recognize Mr. Krum's importance as a symbol of his country and will not deny them of his talents. It is my hope that they would not support him but I will not force that issue. From what my daughter and our allies have told us, this is not a singular incident and multiple occurrences have happened that I know have resulted in at least two pregnancies. Whether the other incidents were rape or not I cannot say but I feel that to prevent further occurrences, we require emasculation as restitution."

Albus spoke up "Surely Mr. Delacour you would not wish something so permanent on someone so young that may still be able to learn the error of their ways."

"If it had merely been my daughter involved, I would have asked for financial restitution. But as there are several young ladies involved along with the attempted rape of my daughter and coupled with the attempt on Harry Potter's life during the second task for what I understand is revenge for interfering with yet another attempt, I think this is the best possible solution so that he cannot do this to another man's daughter."

Albus said "Very well, I will have Madam Pomfrey comply with your wishes."

Jean said "You will do nothing of the sort. I have the utmost respect for Madam Pomfrey and her abilities but she is a healer and as such should never be put in this position only to have you repair the damage once our backs are turned. No, as this was an attempt on my house, I will determine how the sentence is carried out."

Albus said "But there must be a trial."

Amelia said "Not in this case Headmaster. Once the ministers and I confirm the pensive memories, he will be allowed to proceed. Monsieur Delacour, I ask that you withhold your sentence until we can obtain corroborating memories. Until then, he will have a bracelet placed on his wrist to keep him from leaving the country."

Jean nodded.

Albus placed and asked "How will you do this?"

Jean gave him a feral grin.

**LC**

Cornelius Fudge was not a happy man. He stood pacing in front of the judges' table as the other two ministers stood close by. He finally stopped and said "Your time here is at an end Albus. You were all warned of the consequences should some disaster strike at this task and in my opinion that is exactly what has just happened. I will call for a full inquiry into your actions this year. Don't think we haven't heard of your attack on Heiress Jones. It has also been rumored that you are the cause of all the problems Mr. Potter has been facing this year. I won't stand for someone being purposely mistreated to serve your greater good. I also plan to have quite a few witnesses to your action on the stand under veritaserum if necessary."

Karkaroff said "What about what was done do my champion? Will that act go unpunished?"

Cornelius turned to the Bulgarian minister who said "We are of the opinion that Mr. Krum deserved whatever punishment he receives. After his attack on Mr. Potter, he should be grateful he is still alive. I don't think I or anyone else will hold Mr. Potter responsible for the justice that was visited upon Mr. Krum and I am deeply shamed by the fact that someone we promoted as the finest our country had to offer has done such immoral and despicable things. I'm amazed that he didn't destroy the progress we have made between our three countries. I can assure you Karkaroff that you and Viktor Krum will not be returning home to a hero's welcome. Mr. Krum's contract has already been voided due to morality clauses and I have heard that the International Quidditch Association has a permanent ban on the table concerning him."

McGonagall was standing close by and Cornelius turned to her. "Where were you when all this madness was going on? Where were you when a member of your house needed you? Oh, you don't need to answer those Minerva. You will sit the inquiry as well and if I have my way, your positions as deputy and head of house will be stripped from you for failure in doing your sworn duties."

Cornelius noticed Amelia's assistant come running out of the command post that Amelia had set up and go straight to her. Amelia's hand went up to her mouth and gestured at Cornelius before she and several other Aurors left by portkey. He knew something was wrong and turned as the young Auror approached.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your meeting Minster Fudge but Director Bones told me to inform you that Harry Potter just showed up at the Ministry."

"I'm pleased to hear that, at least we know where he is."

"I'm sorry sir but he just appeared in the DOM where he walked himself and his elf through the Veil in the Death Chamber."

Cornelius paled and activated his emergency portkey that would take him straight to the Ministry. Minerva leaned forward and growled out "This is your fault Albus. His blood is on your hands and I hope James and Lily personally greet you when you die."

"Your hands are not so clean either."

"Yes but I am not so delusional as to believe I am going anywhere but hell for what I have done to that boy."

**LC**

In the critical ward at St. Mungos, they had two beds side by side holding Cedric and Megan. As the healers were cutting off his dragon hide clothing and working to remove the shards of stone, another was pouring a steady stream of blood replenishing potions down Megan's throat. Megan watched the whole thing as yet another healer came in the room pushing what looked like a muggle medical device.

She heard one of the healers say "Thank Merlin he had on dragon hide. There wouldn't have been enough to work with if he hadn't."

The machine was placed in between Megan and Cedric and the healer started preparing both of them for the transference of blood. Another potion was poured down Megan's throat and her last thoughts were of Harry as she drifted off to sleep. As soon as she was out, the healers started inserting the needles needed to start the transfusion between Megan and Cedric.

**LC**

A week had passed since Harry Potter stepped through the Veil. The Unspeakables had somebody monitoring the Veil twenty four hours a day and while the Veil was still acting differently, there was still no sign of Harry Potter or the elf.

**LC**

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office at Hogwarts patiently waiting to be summoned to the Ministry of Magic to answer for his actions this year. He hoped no one looked too deeply and discovered his manipulations concerning the young man as there would be too many questions that Albus did not want to answer. He was probably most upset that Harry had taken certain items behind the Veil with him. Items that Albus desperately needed and wanted as he knew his time was running short. His control over the Potter accounts was a moot point now that the items were gone and if he claimed them with the false will it would only draw more attention to his deeds. Albus had received a letter from Bearclaw everyday since the last task and after the first one; he had taken to ignoring them. He hoped that Bearclaw would take the fall for this leaving him clear but he knew that with the way his luck had run this year, it was very unlikely.

**LC**

Upon returning to the Ministry, Amelia was escorted to the secure holding area by Connie Hammer and was stunned at what she found. When she returned to her office, she cancelled the kiss on sight order on Sirius Black and called in one of her Aurors.

Nymphadora Tonks entered her boss' office and stood at attention. "You called for me ma'am?"

Amelia looked up and said "Yes Auror Tonks. I need you to contact your mother and inform her that I need to speak with her cousin at his earliest convenience. Make it clear that is not an attempt to arrest him but to clear his name. If my information is correct, his Godson left me the means to affect this but only if he is willing to stand trial once again."

Tonks looked at her cautiously and replied "Ma'am, I have no knowledge of my mother being in contact with the escaped convict but I will relay your message."

Amelia glared at her and said "Who do you think you are talking to? I know that Lord Black has summoned his family and I also know there can only be one person who is Lord Black. You will leave now and deliver the message you were just given. I expect you to report back to me within a half hour telling me this task has been done. I also expect to have a message in my hands before lunch tomorrow or all deals are off. Is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am."

**LC**

The mood in the castle was rather somber with the results of the third task. The single champion remaining in the castle refused to be awarded the Tri-Wizard Cup and was seen mostly in the company of Cho Chang who was an emotional wreck over the whole situation and was almost always seen crying ever since that night.

In an unusual move, the Slytherin Ice Queen, Daphne Greengrass, had been sitting at the Ravenclaw table with Fleur and aiding in her attempts at comforting Cho as well as passing on the reports her mother had been sending her about Cedric and Megan.

At the Leaving Feast, desert was interrupted by Lord Greengrass walking in the door holding several pieces of parchment. As he made his way to the head table, Albus rose and asked "Lord Greengrass, may I ask your reason for being here tonight?"

"Of course Mr. Dumbledore, I have come for my daughters, Miss Moon, Miss Davis, Miss Lovegood, and finally Miss Chang."

"This is highly unusual…"

"I have the written permission slips from their parents. They are going to wake Mr. Diggory and Miss Jones tomorrow morning and we thought it would be better to have their family surrounding them as they found out the news of Mr. Potter. Girls, call your elves and have them pack you immediately."

**LC**

The healers at St. Mungos decided that the two sleeping teens in their care were finally ready to be woken from their magically induced sleep. All tests concluded that they were fully recovered from the ordeal and the fact had even been verified by Madam Pomfrey at the request of the families.

They slowly woke up to the comforting feeling of being surrounded by family. Kathleen was sitting there holding her daughter's hand and softly said "Welcome back baby."

Megan muttered out "Cedric?"

"He's fine dear and is waking up now. You did an amazing thing and I'm proud of you."

Megan gave her a small smile and then her eyes spotted Poppy standing across the room. She started suddenly looking around the room and started panicking when she couldn't find Harry. "Where's Harry?"

When nobody answered she asked a little louder "Where's Harry?"

By this time, Cedric was sitting up with his arms around Cho. Daphne moved to Megan's side as she yelled "WHERE'S HARRY?"

Reginald moved forward "Honestly baby we don't know."

She cried out "DOBBY?"

Poppy said "He won't answer sweetie. I've tried."

"What happened?"

"We don't know much. Harry fought Voldemort and according to the Aurors, he was fine. Evidently, Dobby exhausted himself and Harry picked him up. All we know is that they were apparating away and they were hit by a curse from Voldemort. The next time they were seen was when they appeared in the DOM and stepped through the Veil of Death."

Tears were falling down her cheeks as she sat there thinking that she had lost her Harry. Luna sat down on her bed and pulled her into hug. "Can you still feel him?"

Megan closed her eyes and could feel the connection still holding her to him and nodded her head. Luna bluntly said "Then he is still alive somewhere. We will see him again when it is time."

AN: Sorry to say this but the updates will be a bit slower as I've been incredibly busy for the last week and have not had the time I needed to devote to this. Hopefully it will change quickly.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Harry Potter or intend to make any money from this.

AN: Thank you for the reviews. I appreciate you all sticking with me on this especially after the last chapter. I'm sorry to say that there will be no real action in this one as we move Harry in a new direction. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 10

Harry stepped through the veil and into a swirling vortex of color. Although he found the trip just as nauseating as the other forms of magical travel, this version was at least much less rough and bumpy. In what seemed like a very short time, Harry was stepping out of the vortex and onto a stone platform. The room he entered was warmly lit and left him feeling relaxed despite the fact that he was entering the unknown. It was then he noticed the kindly looking middle aged man rising from a comfortable chair and smiling at him.

"I have waited a long time to make your acquaintance Harry James Potter."

"You seem to have me at a disadvantage as I don't know who you are." Harry thought of ejecting the elder wand but it refused to slide into his hand.

The man smiled "You won't need your wand Harry. I mean you no harm and I am known by many names but the one I call my own is Azrael."

"Well Azrael, can you answer how I came to be here?"

He chuckled "Yes I can, I made it happen. I thought it best to get you away from your world for a while so that you could heal and maybe even learn a few things from several of my old friends. If that were not enough reason, then the task you have ahead of you and the challenges you face would be enough to warrant my intervention."

Harry warily asked "Maybe you could tell me more about yourself and where I am."

"Ah, it is so nice to see your mother shining through." He waved his hand and another chair appeared. As Harry started towards the chair, Azrael noticed the withering curse moving up his neck and the sleeping elf in Harry's arms. "Hmm…that won't do."

Azrael grabbed Harry's hand and a soft glow began to appear around them both. Within a few minutes, the blackened skin was changing back into healthy looking flesh and all trace of the curse was receding. "Well that was a nasty curse, I take it was a parting gift by Tom?"

Harry nodded and then Azrael focused on Dobby. "What have we here?"

Harry held Dobby tightly. "This is Dobby. He's one of my truest friends and I wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for him."

"How so?"

"He has protected me, kept me sane, held me when I cried, and healed me. I owe him everything."

"It's rare to hear a wizard say that about a house elf. I also sense there is more to the story."

"Yes Sir there is, there was a piece of Tom's soul in me and he removed it at the cost of his own magical core. We are forever bound to each other as he cannot live without me and I wouldn't want to live without my friend."

"May I hold him and see if I can help?"

Harry backed away in protection of Dobby. "I'm sorry sir but I don't trust anybody with his safety."

"I won't hurt him. He is family after all."

Harry looked confused "What do you mean?"

Azrael chuckled "He has bound himself to you so is part of your family. I am family to you as well and would never hurt a member of my family. I can tell you still don't trust me yet so (He waved his hand and a cot appeared beside the chair he conjured.) place him on that bed and I will see to healing him."

Harry did so but watched closely. Azrael knelt beside Dobby and placed his hands on Dobby's chest. As he closed his eyes, a soft glow surrounded Dobby that grew brighter the longer he did this. After fifteen minutes, Azrael shakily stood and made his way to his chair. Once he sat, he gestured to Harry to do the same. Harry nodded and then complied but never took his eyes off Dobby.

Azrael took a deep breath and then said "I haven't done that in a long time. It takes a lot out of you."

"Just what did you do?"

"I returned him that which he gave up for one of his family. His act of pure love and devotion to you earned a reward that I was more than happy to grant. I just haven't used those powers in a long time."

"Just who are you?"

Azrael chuckled "That may take a bit longer to explain."

Harry scoffed "It seems as if we have the time."

"Yes, I think we do. Where would you like me to start?"

"The beginning would be nice."

Azrael chuckled again. "My you do want the long version. Okay, let me ask, how well do you know the Bible?"

"I am familiar with it and know some of the stories."

"Are you aware of the story of the Fallen Angels?"

"Somewhat. A group of angels descended from Heaven and began to take wives. It was said that the offspring from these unions produced, for lack of a better word, titans."

"A fair summary. The truth is the children were giants and all manner of not so pleasant creatures. Many of whom the Creator did not manage to completely wipe out as these Fallen Angels returned and spirited their children away before the Great Flood destroyed almost every living creature on Earth. Once the population began to reestablish itself, the Fallen Angels returned with some of their children and began once again to expand their own population."

"The Creator recognized that to attempt to wipe out the population again would be futile so he called upon some of his most faithful to create families of our own only this time, the children would be human and would possess a new genetic trait passed on to them by their sires. These children would go on to become the ancestors of the great magical families. Their mission in life would be to stand against evil and darkness."

"If that is true, where did the dark magical families come from?"

"Ah good question, over time even the lightest of magicals became corrupted by darkness and exposure to the darker children of the Fallen Angels. The truth is that dark magic has always been easier with faster results and they allowed their human greed to control them."

"Am I to assume that I am from your line?"

Azrael smiled "Yes you are."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Then if I am descended from the light, how can I be grey?"

Azrael smiled broadly. "That is another good question and one that your mother asked as well. The lines that sprang from me have always fought against the darkness but they usually did it in a more practical way. You see I am an oddity amongst the other angels even though I obediently serve the Creator. I was tested and proven to be incorruptible and therefore was given a special position and special powers to go along with it."

"And that is?"

"I am the Angel of Death."

"Then how is it that you appear normal to me and not some skeletal figure? And how did you touch us without causing our deaths or are we dead?"

"Ah, that's easy. My bloodline see me as who I truly am not the 'Grim Reaper' of legend. However, someone not in my family will definitely see the reaper. As far as the other, as I said earlier, no one of my bloodline need fear my touch or me."

"So, am I to assume that I have a special connection with death?"

Azrael laughed "Yes, you are the last of my lines. You alone have a substantial connection to me."

"Then the stories of the Deathly Hallows are true? By uniting then, I become the Master of Death?"

Azrael chuckled again. "In a manner of speaking. If you think it will control me then you are wrong for no man will ever have the power to control me as I only serve the Creator. The Hallows were three magical artifacts I gave to my children to help them in their fight against the darkness. The Master of Death title would actually refer to the reuniting of the three objects by one man of Peverell blood as only a member of my bloodline can truly command them. If you look at it in a different way, by uniting them you would become the Lord or Master of House Peverell. Before taking the name Peverell, my house was known as the house of death so you would be the Lord or Master of the House of Death. Sadly, over time my family lines have finally succumbed to the battle against the darkness until only one member was left. So where you are concerned, the Hallows act as a family signet ring that says you are the only living Lord of the family."

"I don't understand."

"And that is why you are here. You will learn to control the Hallows and use them to help you reestablish our family. Somewhere along the line, you will learn of your titles and how to use them. It will be up to you, Harry James Potter, to continue my bloodline. I know the rumors about the Hallows but that is mainly man's arrogance speaking. No one, not even me has power over death. Yes, man can kill each other but true death only occurs when the Creator judges it so."

"The other grey families, aren't they descended from you?"

"No, many of those families became disillusioned with the light side's righteous view and saw many of the light doing some of the same things the dark was doing but in the name of purifying the world. While the dark will use anyone they can, the light's overzealousness at not trusting anyone with the same ideals as them has led to their isolation and loss of the ability to be effective in the fight against the darkness. If you get anything from our conversation Harry, it's that the light is just as untrustworthy as the dark. They have tried to remain so pure that the darkness has been allowed to gain more ground than should be possible. It will be up to you to reunite the grey families and fight both sides if you want your world to get better. From what I have seen, you are well on your way to doing this and with a little more training, you will be able to accomplish this. You made an excellent choice in the future Lady Potter and it is a good start but may not be enough."

Harry looked at him dumbfounded and asked "What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is it is time to begin your true education." He stood and motioned for Harry to follow him.

"What about Dobby?"

"Let him rest and heal for now. He will rejoin you soon."

Harry stepped over to Dobby and placed his hand on Dobby's forehead. He whispered "Get better my friend. I feel I will need you soon."

**LC**

Cedric Diggory had been awake for a few days and being held in St. Mungos while the healers made sure he was completely healed. It took several days before the healers would allow visitors who were not his family or girlfriend. After a knock at his door, Megan got up to answer and found Amelia Bones along with Connie Hammer standing in the hallway.

"May we come in?"

She gave them a hopeful nod and opened the door wider to allow them entrance. Amelia smiled and said "It's good to see you both looking so well. We were informed that they were releasing you tomorrow and wanted to catch you before you got away."

Amos stood and said "May I ask what this is about?"

"Lord Diggory, we are only here to continue our investigation into the events which occurred that night. Cedric is certainly in no trouble."

Megan quietly asked "Is there any word on Harry?"

"I'm afraid not Miss Jones. The Veil has always been seen as a one way portal but the Head Unspeakable thinks that with the way it acted that night that it may no longer be the case. We don't have any proof to back this theory but are very hopeful this will turn out well in the end. I wish there was something more I could tell you to ease the pain you're in but sadly I have nothing to offer."

Daphne moved over and put her arms around Megan and began whispering in her ear to try and comfort her as tears began to once again fall from Megan's dark brown eyes.

Amelia turned back to Cedric and asked "Would it be possible for you to tell us what happened in the graveyard? We have a lot of blanks that still need filling in."

Cedric said "I don't know how much I could tell you but the Death Eaters attacked after Harry sent Fleur back. We traded curses for a while and I managed to get a lucky shot in and hit one in the face with an acid curse."

Connie said "We've had no report of anyone being treated for that. Do you know who it was?"

"At the time we were fighting for our lives and I was using anything I could think of to keep them away from us until Dobby came back. Everyone had on masks until I hit that Death Eater. I saw Lucius Malfoy's face staring back at me after he took off his mask after the curse burnt through part of it. It also ate away part of his hood and some of his hair. There should be no disguising the results as it won't grow back for a while."

Connie said "I should say not. That is a potentially dark curse Mr. Diggory."

"Ma'am, Harry and I were being attacked and were fighting for our lives. I did what I had to do to keep us alive and would do it again if faced with the same thing."

Amelia responded "I'm glad you did Cedric. The alternative is not acceptable and you were in a life and death situation. I would have done the same thing. Now is there anything else you can remember?"

"They herded us into a trapped position and then we heard a hissing voice say to kill me and that they only needed Harry. All of a sudden, there were AK's flying at us and I stepped in front of Harry to protect him. I knew I was going to die but Harry brought up a granite wall in front of us that kind of shielded us from the curse. You know, AK's are pretty damn destructive because that's where all the stone came from. That's the last thing I remember before waking up here."

"Are you sure you saw Lucius Malfoy?"

"Ma'am, I would know that sneering pompous git anywhere. It was definitely Lucy as Harry calls him."

Amelia chuckled "Thank you Cedric, if you think of anything else, have your father contact us. I'm glad to see you doing better. I know a lot of people will be happy to hear this news."

Amos said "Amy, you do realize that by attacking my son, Lucius has earned the enmity of all our houses. When Mr. Potter returns, I'm sure he will agree with this."

Amelia asked "You expect Mr. Potter to return?"

"I expect nothing less. We just have to be patient."

She looked him in the eyes and said "I hope you are right."

**LC**

Harry felt that he had been in the company of the Peverell Brothers of legend for what must have been a year. The time was spent learning of the Hallows and their powers. It had been explained to him that the Hallows were created so that each branch would have an advantage in the fight against the darkness. The problem came about when they fell victim to their human faults which caused them to be unworthy of the objects. Antioch's boasting of the wand saw him killed and the wand disappearing into history. With him dying without heirs, the wand was lost to the family until it was recovered by a Potter many years later. While powerful in any wizards' hand, its true power was released when in the possession of the bloodline it was intended for.

Harry and Antioch talked of the visions Harry had seen and Antioch shared his shame as he was forced to watch the horrible things caused by the wand. It was Antioch's hope that Harry's strength of will and strong character would be enough to overcome the lure of power the wand offered. It was one of the fail safes put into the wand that while it could do horrible things, its true power would not be felt but by someone worthy and of their blood.

Antioch taught how the wand was created for the defense of others and never for personal gain or glory. Antioch went against everything he was taught and walked about boasting of the unbeatable wand until he was killed in his sleep. Harry learned that the wand was the secret behind the Potter's incredible wards because its power was being used to protect others therefore fulfilling the true purpose of the wand. This didn't mean that the wand could not be used in battle just like any other wand but it wouldn't truly be at its most effective strength unless the heart of the holder was in the right place.

Cadmus then began teaching of the stone and all that it could do along with its true purpose. Yes, it was created as a bridge between life and death but it was intended for the holder to meditate while holding the stone so that he could commune with family who had passed on and ask for guidance and advice. When he corrupted its purpose by dragging his wife back from the dead and subjecting her to the torment of existing on this plane, he was driven insane and caused his line to be cursed. His line ended with the Gaunts and throughout history, everything his descendents desired would be lost to them. Wealth, power, and nobility would be forever denied them and their lives would always end tragically but even through it all, they would forever maintain their arrogance and superior attitudes. At the end of his lessons with Cadmus, he told Harry that he was glad that he defeated Tom and the stone finally passed to his bloodline. It was his greatest shame that his children and ancestors were punished for his mistakes.

The last session was with Ignotus and it was there that Harry learned the most about the Peverells or at least his branch of the family. Ignotus had two sons, the oldest inherited the cloak when it was Ignotus' time to embrace death and the tradition has been followed ever since. As the story of the Hallows became famous, the Peverell family faded away and the Potter family appeared and rose to prominence. The second son chose a different name and went on to earn his own place in the legends of the magical world. Harry was taught of the cloak and its abilities and once he was through with those lessons, all three Peverell brothers rejoined him to finish his training. It mostly consisted of family secrets along with the ways of the ancient lords of the magical realm.

In the end, Harry learned that the cloak, wand, and stone were once part of a staff that was carried by Azrael. The stone was the focusing crystal and the cloak was formed from the essence derived from the heartstring and hairs of the thestral who gave of itself to create the staff. When they were split apart, they became the objects known as the Hallows. These objects plus their blood also gave the Peverell family a strong connection to creatures that are misunderstood and associated with death.

On the last day of his time with the three brothers, he was pulled into a hug by each of them and charged with rebuilding the family and bringing the name of Peverell back into prominence. He was also warned to learn from their mistakes and to not give in to his pride and arrogance or he would suffer the same fate as his ancestors.

**LC**

At the end of the second week that Harry had been missing, the incident with Harry going through the Veil was finally announced in the Prophet and those that had betrayed him realized that they would never have the opportunity to repair the damage they had done to their relationship with Harry. Every parent of a child at Hogwarts was disappointed the actions of their children this year and were uneasy at what the loss of the last member of the Potter family could mean to their lives. In Crawley, the Granger family was having yet another discussion about Hermione's behavior.

After some research, she learned that as a muggleborn, she could not leave Hogwarts until after she had taken her OWLs and was resigned to the fact that she would have to attend another year there or risk having her magic bound and her family being obliviated of all traces and knowledge of the magical world. The Granger parents didn't see this as such a bad thing as they blamed the magical world for the corruption of their daughter. Out of everyone they had ever heard about, Harry Potter was the only honorable one amongst her friends and she had even managed to screw that up.

There was also another option that passed through Martin Granger's mind. His disgust at her behavior was so great that he even considered handing Hermione enough money to complete her education and washing his hands of her. That thought was quickly dismissed as even with him being so disgusted with Hermione's choices, he still loved her and wanted the best for her.

After a lot of thought and many discussions, Hermione made a magical vow to act in the way she was raised and never betray her honor again. She secretly hoped for the chance to fix things with Harry but felt in her heart that she didn't deserve it and that she couldn't blame Harry for his reaction. All she could do at this point was be there to support him in whatever capacity he allowed and that was only if he returned from behind the Veil. She knew her friend and had faith that he would return. How could he not when he had always managed doing the impossible ever since she met him. Her parents finally relented on the condition that she somehow made her peace with Harry if he returned and after next year, the topic of leaving Hogwarts would be revisited.

**LC**

Sirius Black was not having an easy time of things either. After his confrontation with Albus, he had set about to unite the Black family but only met resistance. Narcissa refused to answer his owls and when she finally did; her note was less than receptive as she simply wrote:

'There is no Lord Black at present and if you would do the world a favor by hurrying up and passing on, maybe the issue of Lordship could be settled once and for all.'

Sirius was taken aback by her words and since Bella was in Azkaban, he approached Andromeda. Andromeda was a kind woman but had been raised a Black and wouldn't put up with a lot of crap. She sat and listened to Sirius' offer to bring her back into the family and then heard his plans for trying to take Dumbledore down. Her husband and daughter were also in the room and after a quick glance at both of them, they braced for what was coming next.

Andromeda said in the coldest voice possible. "Sirius, you may be the Lord Black but I don't see the advantage in rejoining that family at the current time. As far as your feud with Dumbledore, no one in my family will be a part of it and I have forbidden Nymphadora from joining either you or that old goat."

"But Andi…"

"But nothing Siri. From what I understand, Dumbledore screwed with not only Harry's life but is more than likely the cause behind Jamie and Lil's death. You gave up Harry to Hagrid too easily and then got thrown in to Azkaban and if I were to guess, Albus had a part in that too. Then what do you do when you get out? You seek out your godson but have to be rescued by him. Not only that but you ignore everything you were ever taught and allowed yourself to be placed under Albus' thumb. Ever since Jamie died, did you ever think of your responsibility to Harry? What did it cost you Siri?"

Sirius muttered "Everything"

"You are right Siri. It was your godson who managed to get you exonerated even if you don't deserve it. You are too weak to be Lord Black. You allowed someone to control you and then allowed that same person to destroy your relationship with your godson. You remember him don't you? The same boy that you swore an oath to protect above all others? No Sirius Black, with the way you have protected Harry, there is no way I want any of my family under the protection of the current Lord Black. Your kind of protection sees lives ruined."

Sirius sat there in silence for a few minutes before Andromeda once again spoke. "Harry going through the veil was a horrible thing. It not only ended the Potter line but it effectively killed the Blacks as well. The Black family will now be forever known as oath breakers for the way we failed at our charge to protect the Potter heir. I'm glad I am no longer a Black so you can go have your little pissing contest with Albus somewhere else as long as you leave my family out of it."

"I could command it."

Nymphadora snorted "Cousin Sirius, you can't even command a house elf. Dumbledore isolated Harry and then I heard that you and Remus abandoned him after he pleaded to you for help. I only wish I had known as I would have offered my help to him. Unless Harry Potter steps out of that Veil, I would rather align myself with the ministry than the two other options available. Now leave my Mum be. We don't want any part of your plans. "

Sirius got up and apparated out of the house without another word. He appeared back in Grimmauld Place and went straight to the bar and pulled out a bottle of firewhiskey. He sat there in silence as he drank and was only joined by Remus after he had cracked open a second bottle and was well on his way to oblivion.

Remus sat back and watched as his friend kept demolishing shots of firewhiskey as he nursed his own drink. It seemed as if Sirius was having an internal monologue and that things did not go so well in his meeting with Andromeda today. Sirius took him by surprise when he said "I've got to make it up to him. This is my fault."

He was further surprised when Sirius stood and grabbed the bottle of firewhiskey before apparating away. Remus was used to Sirius' theatrics and didn't really think much of it as he thought Sirius just had another hair brained scheme.

The next few minutes passed as a blur to Sirius as he appeared at the apparation point in the Ministry. As drunk as he was, his feet still guided him into elevators and down corridors until he came to a non-descript door. Once through the door, he found himself in a spinning room that eventually stopped with a glowing door that led to what looked like a dark theater. Sirius walked down the stairs and stood in front of an archway which had mists swirling around inside of it.

An Unspeakable came into the chamber only to hear Sirius alternately crying and screaming Harry's name. The last he saw of Sirius Black was when he jumped through the veil while yelling out "I won't leave you alone in there Harry."

**LC**

The second training session for Harry was starting before he knew it even though it seemed like he had already been here for more than a year. The morning after he was finished with the Peverell brothers, Ignotus led him to a field. In the middle of the field was someone Harry recognized immediately. As Ignotus introduced them, he said "Harry, I would like you to meet another of your ancestors. While my eldest son took up the cloak and the name Potter, my other son chose a different path and chose the name Godric Gryffindor. You will spend the next little while learning all he has to teach you. It will serve you well in the times ahead."

Harry respectfully replied "As you wish Grandfather."

Godric spoke "I have watched you for that last few years and I think you are worthy of being my heir but whether or not you earn the title will depend on our time together. I had no children of my own so my legacy passed back into my father's bloodline. In our time together, I intend to teach you to be the warrior that is inside you so that you may continue our families' mission against the darkness. Don't let my father fool you as he was a fierce warrior who stood up to fight in times of need just as I did. Our only difference was he went back to a peaceful life of a pot maker and I chose to teach. Part of my legacy is the ability to pass on knowledge and skills while the other part is laying down the quill and taking up the sword."

Harry said "I would be honored to learn anything you are willing to teach me."

Godric wasted no time and began teaching Harry at once as he had so much to learn in Godric's opinion. The next year would be hard for Harry as Godric not only challenged his mind but his body. By the end of his time there, Harry grew to six feet tall and his body filled out quite a bit. The muscles he built up were due to a combination of Poppy's potions, the magic of the place they were in, as well as constantly sparring and dueling with Godric. The heavy swords they used gave his arms and chest a lot of definition and the marches and runs Godric led him on gave his legs more strength and muscle as well. Harry found it funny that their 'hikes' were used like a classroom where Harry was tested and taught as much as Godric could throw at him.

As they were talking one day, Harry said "You know, the reputation we have been taught of you in my time only portrays you as the warrior. Never would I have guessed that you were this nerdy."

Godric snorted "Oh, the warrior/scholar image is too shameful for you? I'll have you know that I was Rowena's equal in the intelligence department. I'll also have you know that Salazar may have thought himself cunning but I maneuvered that man wherever I wanted him to be. Helga was a different matter and you could not find a more loving and caring person in the world but she could be vicious when she needed to be. Hence another secret you need to take away from this conversation. Always let them underestimate you unless you are on the field of battle."

"I have done that for years."

"I have watched you young one and know this to be true but you have to admit you did slack off quite a bit with that weasel. I know your mental abilities were partially blocked but you should have tried harder and you should never relied on anyone else to do your research and dirty work."

"Yes Uncle, I have since corrected that and intend to do better in the future."

Godric nodded and turned the conversation in another direction. He knew his charge had learned from his mistakes and would do much better in the future.

By the time he was done with Godric, he knew his role as the Gryffindor heir and was quite well versed in battle techniques. On their last day together, Godric gave him specific instructions as to how to handle matters at Hogwarts as that was where Godric's true power was. Harry grinned as he thought about what he was going to do on the day he returned to the castle.

**LC**

Sirius' drunken trip through the Veil was reported in the prophet as merely the act of a coward who could not face up to the shame of his choices in life. As soon as the Malfoy's heard of it, they made a trip to Gringotts in order for Draco to claim the Black Lordship. They were immediately uneasy as it was reported to them that Ragnok was handling this matter and they would have to take the matter up with him. Lucius pushed the matter and was soon sitting in front of the Goblin leader demanding that Draco be given his rightful inheritance.

The snarling and sneering by the pureblood wizard just managed to infuriate the Goblin leader more than he already was with the whole matter of the Potter heir being undecided. Goblin magic told him that Harry was still alive and he already knew from his dealings with Sirius that Harry was the legitimate heir to House Black. When he informed the Malfoys of this, they claimed it was impossible and demanded that Draco be tested.

Ragnok growled out "There is only one true test of the Lordship of the House of Black. You place the signet ring on your hand and if you survive, you are Lord Black."

Draco asked "And if you aren't the Lord Black?"

Ragnok gave a feral grin "At the worst, the test will kill you. As best you become a squib. Do you still want to try it?"

Ragnok could see that Draco was obviously scared but Lucius had dollar signs and power flashing around in his head. Narcissa had the presence of mind to say "Lucius, perhaps it would be best to wait until the will has been read. If it falls to Draco then we will know then."

She turned to Ragnok and asked "Director Ragnok, has the date for the reading of Lord Black's will been set?"

"Not as yet Mrs. Malfoy, there are some matters that must be cleared up before that can happen. You will be notified as soon as we have set a date as I know for a fact that you are mentioned in it."

That statement seemed to appease them for the moment and the three haughty wizards finally left the bank. Ragnok was nervous as all signs pointed to Harry becoming the Lord Black as well. If he could not repair the damage to their business relationship, things would become bleak for their nation. If all that wasn't enough, a long dormant vault in the deepest and oldest section of Gringotts was showing the signs of becoming active once again after millennia in dormancy. Ragnok thought that it was no mere coincidence that the Peverell vault was reacting this way during the time that Harry Potter was behind the Veil.

**LC**

Megan was not doing very well in dealing with the disappearance of Harry. She could still feel the bond but it was different as it couldn't seem to find its match and seemed to be always searching. Luna's words helped but even with her comfort, Megan remained in a depressed state. Once Cedric was released from St. Mungos, he and Megan spent a lot of time together commiserating with each other as he felt guilty over Harry being gone and could not shake the thought that he did not do everything he could to help Harry.

A month passed since Harry disappeared and Daphne and Cho were constant companions to the two of them ever since they came home. They were even pushing Megan in her studies so that she could take her OWLs but without Harry, her heart just wasn't in it anymore. Daphne even used the tactic of saying Harry would be disappointed in her when he returned for not following the plan but it had the opposite effect she intended and Megan dissolved into tears once again. Daphne did the only thing she could and hugged her closer. Daphne felt for the girl but at the same time, was glad that it wasn't her that Harry bonded with. Daphne always thought that Megan was one of the strongest people she knew and to have the 'Ice Queen's' respect was really saying something. It was this respect she had for Megan that allowed her to permit herself to take that first step with Harry. Daphne missed Harry just as much as the other two did but to see Megan broken and beaten was something she never expected. She quietly prayed every night that Harry would once again pull off a miracle and return to them as she didn't know if Megan would survive the loss of someone so close this time.

**LC**

Azrael came and picked up Harry after his time with Godric. As they were walking away, he said "It looks as if your time with Godric has been good for you."

"I feel better and stronger than I have ever felt in my life. I just hope Megan likes the new me if she hasn't moved on already. I have been gone for a long time."

Azrael chuckled "No child, she still waits for you. You have done well with the brothers and Godric and they have had nothing but praise for you. I think you'll enjoy your last group of tutors more than you did the others."

"I'll look forward to it then. I've really enjoyed my time here so far."

They continued to walk and chat until they came upon a large manor. Azrael led him through the front doors and called out. "Hello the house. I brought you company."

They heard a person walking until a screech of 'Harry' was screamed out and a red headed blur attacked and pulled him into a hug.

"Mum?"

"Oh baby, I have been waiting for this moment for so long."

As they continued the embrace, they heard a "What's going on?" before both were wrapped in a pair of strong arms.

Harry gurgled out "Dad?"

James laughed and said "You said it the same way before…well you know."

They laughed and Harry saw an older couple standing close by. As soon as James noticed, he said "Harry, I'd like you to meet my mother and father. Charlus and Dorea Potter."

The two stepped forward and pulled him into an embrace. Dorea said "My how you have grown. The last time I held you was before you went into hiding."

Azrael smiled upon his family and started to walk away before he said "Oh, I almost forgot." He held out his hand and motioned to someone in a cloak who moved towards the group. "I thought you would want to be reunited after all the time you have been apart."

The cloaked figure stepped forward and removed his cloak to reveal a beautiful elf with glowing green eyes and long black hair. Harry looked at him for a minute before his eyes grew wide and said "Dobby?"

Dobby smiled and ran to embrace his friend. As they hugged Harry asked "What happened to you?"

"Grandfather healed me. He was able to make me better and restore my core. As I was bound to you, I somehow became a cross between a Potter and an elf."

Lily stepped forward and said "You were always a Potter Dobby. Thank you for taking care of my son."

Dobby bowed "It was my pleasure Mistress Lily."

"It's just Lily. You're family and have been for a long time."

Harry looked him over and asked Azrael. "You look like a high elf. Is that what you did?"

"Yes and no. I remade him into a high elf but not all the damage could be reversed as well as he didn't have a core for me to work with so he is a cross between both. He is no longer dependent on a bond and he looks like a high elf in everything but his height."

Harry asked "So have you spent your whole time healing?"

"No Mast…sorry…old habits…Grandfather took me to the elfin lands and I trained with them while you were training. I plan to return there while you are here and then rejoin you when it is time to return."

"Grandfather, you said earlier that Megan was still waiting for me. I've been here for years so how can that be?"

Lily came forward and pulled him into a hug. "Time doesn't really have a lot of meaning here. You may feel like you have been gone for a long time but back there it has been a month at the most. Your Megan has not forgotten you and to prove it, I'll even teach you how to visit her in her dreams."

Harry released a breath "That's great Mum. I was worried that I needed to get back but at the same time, I didn't want to cut our time short. I've wanted this for a long time."

**LC**

Harry spent the next year getting to know his family. The fact that they took a lot of outings and made his instruction fun just made the time even more special. Other than learning what he needed to know about being a Lord and all the family businesses, he was also instructed in just how to deal with the Goblins.

As they were talking one night about his studies and interests, Harry mentioned his interest in runes and curse breaking. Charlus and Lily perked up and soon a discussion was being held about how to teach him all they knew. James and Dorea rolled their eyes at this as it seemed to be Charlus and Lily's favorite subject as they had endured hours of talking on the matter.

Harry said "Megan's super smart and Poppy says she's a lot like Mum and Grandmum and told me to never let her go."

James chuckled "Does she go ballistic and make everyone run for cover?"

Harry nodded his head as he saw Lily and Dorea both glaring at James. Harry said "We were planning on studying for our OWLs in runes once school was out so that we could leave Hogwarts but I guess I messed up those plans. I guess I'm going to get yelled at when I get back."

James laughed "Just snog the heck out of her when you first see her. It always works for me."

Charlus muttered "Me too."

It became a full out effort by Charlus and Lily to teach him to the point where Harry could step into the true family business. He found it funny that it was going to be his Mum who designed the warding while James just did the casting but couldn't think of a better way to spend your life than with the one you loved.

One day Harry asked "Mum, if you and dad were so good at warding and stuff, why did you ever go under Dumbledore's protection? I mean, I read your letter but surely you could have done a better job of it."

Lily smiled "There is not a day that we don't regret it and grieve for what it has cost all of us. The only choice we have is to move on and make the best of it now. It helps us to know that you no longer trust that man and won't allow his influence on your life anymore."

In the end, Harry stayed an extra year behind the Veil to learn as much as he could and by then, Charlus guaranteed he could take his Masteries in warding, runes, arithmancy, and curse breaking. Following along that would be the normal masteries in other fields which he was already prepared for with his time spent with his other ancestors.

**LC**

Lily came to him one night and led him out on the grounds of the manor. She sat in the lotus position and invited him to do the same. As he took his place in front of her, she held out her hands which he took. "I'm going to lead you through a sleep visitation. I know you are anxious to see Megan but I think this will help you both with the separation."

"I think I'd like that. What do I do?"

"You need to sink deep into a meditative trance and then focus on the bond you share. When you feel the connection, follow it until you find her. It's that easy."

Harry snorted. "How come every time you say something is easy, I end up looking like a first year all over again?"

Lily smiled "That's because your Mum is the most brilliant witch ever. I thought you'd learned that already."

Harry snorted "Yeah, she's modest too."

They quieted down and Harry went into his trance. As soon as he sunk into it, he focused on his connection to Megan and began following along beside it. As he walked, it wasn't long before his path disappeared into a mist.

Megan was asleep and as usual, she was dreaming of Harry. Her usual dreams were more like nightmares where she saw Harry but before she could get to him, he was forcefully pulled away from her and no amount of running would allow her to catch up. Sleep offered her no comfort as even her dreams gave no relief from the pain that was her separation from Harry.

The dream she was currently having was nowhere near the norm and she found herself sitting in a white mist. She heard footsteps and as she stood, the mist parted as a cloaked figure walked towards her. As soon as she came into view, the figure came to a dead stop and stood there staring at her.

She asked "Who are you?"

She heard the cloaked figure chuckle before he reached up and pulled the hood from over his head to reveal two glowing emerald eyes that were shining with love towards her. She couldn't believe her eyes and was running at him without even thinking. They met in an embrace and a passionate kiss that seemed to go on forever.

"How? Is this real?"

Harry said "As real as it can be for now."

"Is this all in my head?"

Harry smiled "Yes, No, I really don't know."

"Huh?"

He sat down and pulled her into his lap. "The way Mum explained it to me was I am using our bond to speak to you in your dreams."

"Your Mum? Are you dead?"

"That's where it gets complicated. Yes, Harry James Potter is dead. There can be no other result from passing through the Veil. However, I am here and am still alive sort of or should I say that I will be again soon."

"You're not making any sense, if Harry James Potter is dead, then if you come back, who will you be?"

"I will still be me but I have changed a lot. Harry died when he went through that Veil and when I step back through, I will be reborn as Harrison James with a different surname. It's kind of hard to explain but I am amongst my family right now. The sire of my family took me to another place through the arch that has allowed me to learn and train with my ancestors. I finally got to meet my parents and grandparents."

"Harry, you are not making any sense but then again this is a dream so nothing makes sense anyway. Will you tell me what is going on?"

"I don't know if you would believe me if I did."

"Merlin Harry, I'm talking to you in a dream and you're pulling a Dumbledore and speaking in circles. How do I even know this is real?"

He softly replied "Close your eyes and reach out to the bond we share."

She did and a few minutes later she smiled. He asked "Do you feel me?"

"Yes, its closer than it has been. Oh Harry, it really is you! Now, will you tell me what is going on?"

"I can't tell you most of it yet as it is considered a family secret. I'm sorry but until you officially become a member of my family, it will have to stay that way. Now, what do you know of the night I disappeared?"

"All anyone knows is that you fought with Voldemort in the graveyard and as you were trying to leave, he hit you with a curse. The next time you were seen was when you stepped through the Veil."

"Hmm, okay. Yes I fought him and as I was leaving, my magic was pulling me towards something I knew I needed. He hit me with a powerful withering curse as I popped away and it sent me off course and straight to the Veil. The curse was killing me quickly and if I was dying then it meant there was no hope for Dobby. I heard voices on the other side of the Veil calling my name and saying to step through and they would help me. I didn't think I had anything to lose so I did and that's where we have been ever since. If I had known what the arch was, I would have sent you a message so you wouldn't worry but I had no idea at the time. Meanwhile, I met the sire of my family and he cured both of us and we trained. How long have I been gone?"

She looked at him with wide eyes before saying "I don't know, maybe five weeks."

"Wow that is so cool. What has been five weeks for you have been probably five years for me and I've missed you so much. I've been with my family the whole time and I now have a pretty good grasp of what my position is and how to act on it."

She gave him a sad look and said "That's good I guess."

"Why do you say it like that?"

She looked up at him with a tear running down her cheek. "You won't need me anymore now that you know what to do."

Harry laughed at her and then realized it was a mistake by the look on her face. He pulled her tighter into the hug and said "You couldn't be further from the truth. I love you Megan and only want to spend the rest of my life with you. I promise you that I will always need you."

"Oh great, you say that again now that you're dead. Even if you weren't, we're only fifteen."

He grinned "I'm not dead. I'm just not completely alive right now. I'm sure I'll get better."

She snorted. "We're too young."

"So!"

"So? How can you be so sure it's me you want? You haven't dated anyone else. For that matter, how do I know that I will still want to be with you in a few years?"

Harry gave her a sad smile. "The way my Mum explained it, the only way I'm able to be here with you is because we are life mates. The 'Potter' bond only allows us to recognize our mates early but doesn't require us to act on it right away. I thought you felt the same for me as I did for you but I guess I was wrong. I'll set you free of the bond and will look elsewhere. Maybe Luna or Daphne will be interested or maybe I'll just stay where I am. It's not as if my not coming back would change the world."

She started crying again. "You know, I used to never cry until I met you and here lately, all I've done is cry over you."

"I have that effect on girls I guess."

She giggled and then wiped her eyes. They sat there in silence for a minute before she got up from his lap and then sat back down straddling him and looking him straight in the eyes. "Your not coming back would change my world. I'm sorry Harry. I love you and I don't want you to break the bond. I'm just scared at how much I feel for you and also of making that kind of commitment at our age."

"I'm not too young to know that I love you. I also know that as soon as I take my titles, I will only have a year to marry or else they will be stripped from me by family law. I would suggest you think about it and make your decision soon. I can feel my magic pulling me back so my time here is short. I should be finished in about a week and then I will return but I won't make it public for a while as I have some things to do and need the freedom to do them."

He hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek before he disappeared into the mist. As soon as he was gone, the ache returned in her heart. It was that moment that she could see through her fear and insecurities and realized she wanted nothing more than to be the Lady Potter or whatever his new last name was despite their ages.

The next morning, Megan awoke to find Luna sitting on her bed staring at her. "So how was Harry?"

Megan looked at her cousin for a minute before saying "He wants me to marry him."

"So are you going to do it or do Daphne and I get a shot at him?"

Luna's answer was being hit with a pillow.

**LC**

Dorea became Harry's political teacher as she handled that aspect of their lives so that Charlus could play with his wards. It was then that he learned of Sirius' fate and that he would be taking over House Black as well.

"What does that mean?"

Dorea smirked and said "It means that you will have to have one wife for House Potter and one wife for House Black or you can just absorb House Black into House Potter and let the family end."

"Wait a minute, I thought you guys said that House Potter was going to die out and House Peverell would be reborn? Not only that, I can't have two wives Grandmum. I love Megan and I wouldn't want to hurt her. Besides, wouldn't Draco be able to make a claim on the title?"

"Technically House Potter and House Peverell are one and the same. Draco could but as you have a stronger claim, you would be considered the primary heir. Sirius came from the primary line and claimed you as his heir. I also came from the primary line and so you have a direct claim through me. Narcissa is from the secondary line and does not have as good a claim no matter what they think."

"If I absorbed the Black family would that mean I had to accept them into my family?"

Dorea smiled sweetly and shook her head. "I would advise you to take the title and…"

Harry sat quietly for a minute before asking "So what happened with Sirius?"

"What do you mean dear?"

"When he showed up, what happened?"

She looked sadly at him for a second before replying "I'm sorry baby but he just didn't show up. Azrael dragged him in front of us before taking him on to be judged. It was obvious he already realized his mistakes but as your father told him, it was way too late for sorry. In the end, everyone told him how disappointed they were in him and how he would never be welcome in our family's presence again. Azrael said he wasn't sentenced to hell but I can't help but think that's what he got anyway as he would never be accepted by us again and that what he had done was unforgivable."

Harry quietly said "I'm glad I wasn't here to deal with him. His betrayal was just as painful as Hermione's."

She walked over and pulled him into a hug. "Yes, your mother thought that not knowing your fate would see justice served in his case and it would torment him for eternity."

**LC**

On the last day, Azrael and Dobby came back to the manor and joined the family as they were trying to avoid the pain of saying goodbye to each other. As they sat around and talked, it was obvious that the family had grown quite close over the last few years and they were all thankful for the opportunity they had been given to make the connection with each other that had been denied them.

Azrael led Harry and Dobby back to the chamber they had arrived in. Harry looked closely at it and noticed this one was round.

"Why is this one different from the other one?"

Azrael chuckled "Well, it really doesn't matter as it can take any form I choose. I've used mirrors, doors, haunted arches and just about anything else you can imagine but I got this idea when I was in the non-magical world one night. My charge was in a movie theatre and watching something called Stargate. The movie used a device that looked like this to move people from one world to the other and I liked the idea so my arch took on this appearance. To be quite honest, I thought the effect of walking through the wall of water to be extraordinary."

"Great Grandfather, my generation would say that it was cool. From what Meg told me, it freaked everyone out and they had no clue as to what was going on. I guess if they had spent some time embracing the non-magical world instead of saying it was beneath them, they might have figured out from your clue that it was a transportation device. Anyway, it doesn't matter as it will work in our favor."

Azrael gave him some final instructions and then stepped over and placed his finger on Harry's temple. Harry closed his eyes for a minute and when he opened them, Azrael said "That should help you along with your task. You need to send Tom Riddle to me a piece at a time until all you have left is Tom himself. Once you have sent tom himself, I expect nothing less than for Albus Dumbledore to find his way to me. We have all given you the tools you require to do it and then take your place in the world."

"Yes Sir and I know my first stop."

"Good, use it as it was intended. I'm sure everyone would be happy if you checked in with them regularly. So Harrison James Peverell, it is my hope that I don't see you for a very long time but if you ever need me, all you have to do is call my name."

Harry pulled him into a hug and said "Thank you."

With a wave of his hand, Azrael had once again activated the arch. Harry turned to Dobby and asked "You ready for this?"

After a nod from Dobby, they stepped into the wall of water for their journey back to the mortal plane.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or intend to make any money from writing this.

AN: Hey everyone, again I think you for the support and the reviews. I apologize for the slow posting but I had a lot of things to work out with this story as well as being very busy with work. I will do my best to have another chapter out next week.

Chapter 11

The Veil of Death was once again shimmering as if it was a wall of water. As soon as it changed, Croaker was summoned to the chamber as he wanted to be notified if there were any changes in the mystical device. As soon as he arrived, he began waving his wand to try and take readings of the phenomenon before it once again changed.

The room started to rumble a little bit and the dozen or so Unspeakables in the room were nervously glancing around the room at each other. Croaker noticed them and sighed as they were doing _so_ much to justify the vaunted reputation of the Department of Mysteries. There was a loud slurping sound followed by a pop and the rumbling finally grew quiet.

When their eyes once again focused on the Veil, there were two cloaked individuals standing on the platform and they saw that the Veil had returned to its normal state of haunted mists. The Head Unspeakable looked closely at the two people standing there and it was obvious that they were much taller than the two who left six weeks previously. He had no way of knowing if it was indeed Harry Potter as the long robes covered everything and there were hoods covering their heads.

Croaker was the first to take action and stepped forward. "Welcome back Mr. Potter. We thought we had lost you forever."

The taller one looked at Croaker for a minute or two before he chuckled and said "Harry Potter is dead. Even if he could return, I doubt he would. Your world did a pretty good job of destroying the Boy-Who-Lived."

Croaker was taken aback by those words and thought it was time he contacted his old classmate Minerva to see if the rumors of all the young man had faced were true. "Then who are you if I may ask?"

Before Croaker's very wide eyes, a skeletal hand came out of the sleeve of Harry's robe and a long handled scythe formed in it. "We are emissaries of the House of Death. Our Head of House has taken a special interest in the wizard once known as Harry James Potter and has charged us with investigating those who have wronged him."

Another Unspeakable asked "What is the point if he is already dead?"

The figure growled out. "The point will be whether or not they move on or get to spend time with us first for treating one of our own so badly."

Once that was said, the second figure laid his hand upon the arm of the first figure and they faded from view. When they reappeared, they were standing near an old abandoned shack. Dobby said "What did you do that for? Now everyone is going to go into hiding."

"Yeah, wizards are so smart. Just where do you think they will go to hide?"

Dobby chuckled "You're right Harry. They'll either go home or to Hogwarts for Dumbledore's 'protection' and the rest will be begging the Ministry to find and deal with us."

"Come on, we need to get that ring. Once we do, this gets so much easier."

**LC**

Croaker was intrigued by the thought of the House of Death seeking vengeance for Harry Potter but something was tickling away at the back of his mind. As he left the Death Chamber, he made his way to his office and started pulling ancient tomes off the shelves looking for reference to the House of Death. After several hours, he finally found the reference he was looking for and paled at the results.

He pulled another tome and found yet another reference that supported the theory that had been forming in his head. The House of Death was the forerunner of the House of Peverell. He knew the legends and the thought that House Peverell was again on the rise made him a little nervous. The appearance of Lord Peverell could have disastrous effects on their world as he would hold much the same power that Merlin would if he appeared. Croaker had studied on this subject extensively in his youth and knew that during the formation of the magical world, there were three main philosophies much like there are today. Merlin led the light, Morgana led the dark, and the Peverells lead the grey. The emergence of a true Lord of the Grey would galvanize that faction into action. Much like Harry Potter seemed to be doing before he disappeared.

He sat back in thought once again and then got up and pulled an ancient family genealogy text from the shelf. As he got to the right page, he paled as the implications hit him full force. The Potters and Gryffindors appeared the same year the family of Ignotus Peverell disappeared. He looked at notes made in the text by a previous head of the Unspeakables and saw that this was only known by the head of the department and of course the Goblins. He didn't have to research any more to know that Harry Potter was the last member of the Potter family. By the same logic, he could only conclude that he was also the last living member of the Peverell line.

The figure in the chamber said that Harry Potter had died but he was sure the magic radiating off the figure was the same as the young man who had stepped through the Veil only more powerful. He now had the decision to make of what to do with the information. He knew he couldn't reveal the truth about the Peverell line until they revealed themselves but he could let it slip about the new visitors and the statements they had made. In the end, he decided to do just that. He felt it was the least he could do for his old friend and colleague Charlus. If Harry Potter wanted to be dead then who was he to go against his wishes? He fully expected a new Lord Peverell to rise and reclaim his place in society as he let the legend of the boy-who-lived die.

**LC**

Harry approached the Gaunt shack and held his hand up in the air. As he felt the wards that encircled the property, he gave a small smile and chuckled at the simplicity of the wards. It was obvious that Tom relied on his Parseltongue ability to add to the difficulty of the wards but that was their only advantage. The language used to cast the wards were the only difficult thing about them as Harry used his lessons at the hands of his grandfather and mother and his own Parseltongue ability to tear them down.

Harry sat there for a second and realized that one of Cadmus' sons must have been Salazar. It only made sense and it would be a question he would have to ask the next time he communed with his ancestors. Another realization that gave him a shudder was that he was distantly related to Tom. He then thought about Dorea telling him that he was related to most of the magicals in England so it really shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise.

Harry approached the door of the shack and a snake appeared to challenge him. Harry just laughed and with a wave of his hand, he hissed "Be Gone" and banished the last protection on the house. Once this was done, the door eerily creaked open and Harry turned to Dobby and with a shrug of his shoulders, he stepped inside.

Harry and Dobby made their way to the middle of the shack as Harry began waving his wand to search out any magical residue in the house. His searching led over towards the fireplace but was focused in the floor. After a few tests with his feet, he found a loose floorboard. He knelt down and pried the board up with a knife. Harry lit his wand with a 'lumos' and looked inside the hidey hole only to find a small box which he lifted out. When he looked inside, he could see that it was magically expanded and held several rings as well as a small ritual knife.

Just as Harry was about to reach in the box, Dobby grabbed his hand and pulled it away. "I can feel something dark on an item in there along with compulsion charms. It was begging me to hold it."

"Hmm? Really? I didn't feel a thing. Are you sure?"

Dobby chuckled "Do you really think I'd lie to you about something like that? Besides, Tom would more than likely want someone to put it on if it is one of the things we are looking for."

"Hmm….I suppose you're right. It bothers me a little that I missed it and that could cause problems in the future. We probably need to get out of here anyway so any ideas on where we could go?"

"Azrael had the elves train me in soul magic and I'm pretty sure that is what I felt. As far as where to go, why not go back to the suite? Nobody knows where it is and besides, I've missed my stories and need to catch up."

Harry laughed "Alright Aunt Petunia, lead the way."

Dobby grabbed his arm and they popped away and back to the suite. When they arrived, Harry dumped the box on the coffee table and started prodding the items with his wand. Dobby watched carefully as he too was studying the objects. When they were done, they sat back and talked about their next move. Dobby said "We really can't do anything until you put on that ring so what's our next step?"

"The horcrux is definitely in the ring but we can't destroy it the normal way without risking damage to the ring."

Dobby sat back and thought for a minute before asking "Could you go back to the Veil and stick your hand through it holding the ring? That would remove the soul piece."

"That would work but I'm not sure if that would be wise at the moment. I have an idea. Azrael, I need your wisdom."

Azrael faded into the room as the Grim Reaper with a skeletal smile on his face. He quickly morphed into the kindly figure that both Harry and Dobby were accustomed too.

"I just got rid of you and already you are calling me? Did I make the wrong choice?"

"No Great Grandfather but I have a question that I didn't know the answer to and as of yet, I can't get to the resources I need so that I can find out."

Azrael sighed "Very well, what is your question?"

"How do you destroy a horcrux without harming the vessel? Dobby suggested I take it back to the Veil and stick my hand in with it to pull the soul out but I didn't know if it would trap me."

Azrael smiled "I'm impressed boys. Neither of you jumped straight in without asking for help. I assume that the object in question is the family ring?"

"Yes sir."

"Interesting, the protections should not have allowed that to happen. Let me see it."

Harry waved his hand and the ring floated off the coffee table and to Azrael. He took it in his hand and closed a fist over it. His hand began to glow and when it faded, he floated the ring back over to Harry.

"It's safe now. Thank you Harry, you have given me the next piece of Tom's soul. Now, once you put on that ring and assume your title as Lord Peverell, the Veil cannot harm you. You did well not to try your theory before contacting me."

"Thank you Grandfather, we are trying to curb our impulsiveness."

Dobby snorted as Harry just grinned. Azrael asked "So what else was in the box?"

Harry floated a ritual knife to Azrael that had the same emblem as the ring on it. Azrael nodded and said "That makes sense as the knife was passed along with the ring through Cadmus' line. What else is there?"

Harry reached over and picked up two signet rings. The first he dismissed as it was gold with a large 'R' on the stone which represented the Riddle family. The second was a silver ring with a basilisk curved into the letter 'S'. He held out his hand to Azrael so that he could see them.

"Ah, well if you were to put it on and claim Salazar's house, it would give you even more power over Hogwarts."

Harry asked "What if I just absorbed it into Peverell like I plan on doing the others?"

"That would work to push even more power behind the Peverell name. I would have to ask Dorea but I would think that would pretty much guarantee no one would be able to get anything passed in the Wizengamot without your help."

Azrael flickered for a minute before saying "I've got to go boys. I've got a pickup and delivery to make."

Harry was sitting there eying the ring that Azrael handed back to him and felt a little apprehension at what he had to do. Dobby watched him for a few minutes before saying "You might as well go ahead and get it out of the way."

"I know but as soon as I do this, Harry James Potter is truly dead."

"You know I loved that guy but the person who is taking his place is a pretty good guy too. Harry, your heart determines who you are. Not some ring. Do you like who you are now?"

Harry sat there for a minute before saying "Yeah, I do. I've changed so much over the last year that I think Harry James Potter really died on Halloween. Harrison James Peverell won't have the same encumbrances placed upon him."

He slipped the ring on his finger and it flared bright white as it resized itself to fit and the magic of the union sent waves of magic up and down his body. When it subsided, Harry stood and felt the power of his family magic flowing into him fully for the first time. He looked at Dobby who shrugged his shoulders and said "You might as well finish the job."

Harry started to claim his other titles but then stopped in mid sentence. Dobby looked up and asked "Why did you stop?"

With an evil grin, Harry replied "Lord Peverell will be enough to earn me an audience with Director Ragnok. I'll wait until I meet with him to claim the rest. I want to see just how far they are willing to go to keep their business intact."

Dobby thought for a minute before saying "Yeah but on the other hand, stepping in there with that many families under your control would be a very strong show of power."

"Maybe you're right." Harry then started claiming the houses that he had been informed of and in the end; he had five more rings and titles to add to his name although it was his intention to absorb those into House Peverell. As the magic hit him, he staggered a bit at the onslaught of magic.

Dobby sat and watched as Harry claimed the Potter, Black, Gryffindor, Slytherin, and minor house of Evans titles. When Harry was done, he asked "Evans?"

"Yeah, didn't want Petunia or Dudley to be able to claim any of it. Mum left quite a legacy and with me being 'dead' they would be able to lay claim to it."

Dobby nodded. "That makes sense. Now that you're alive once again, don't you think you should get in touch with your girlfriend?"

"I told her I would be busy for a while but she would know when I came back. I wanted to give her time to decide on the thing between us but I don't think I can. She is a big part of me I am and I've been without her for too long already. I could ask you the same thing. Shouldn't we get in touch with yours?"

Dobby blushed. "Winky might not accept me as I am but I think it would be a good idea to bring her into the family. Taking care of you is getting to be too much for one person and adding Megan as well would be a big help in keeping you under control."

"True but what about the age thing?"

"What age thing?"

"Well we've been gone for six years. I'd like to think I've grown up in that time."

The next thing Harry saw was Dobby falling out of his chair laughing. When he settled down, he said "While it's true that we don't look the same as when we went in, you are still fifteen years old and the same clueless git you always were."

"Hey!"

"Harry, more than anything I'm your friend and I will never lie to you. The difference you feel is due to the knowledge you gained and your family magic. Yes, you have matured but you are just now finally catching up to the level Megan was at before you left. It was she who was the thinker and planner and steered you in the direction she thought best."

"So I'm still the same despite how I feel?"

Dobby chuckled "More or less. You have healed and now have the body you should have before the Dursleys got a hold of you but that would have happened anyway with the potions Poppy gave you and it wasn't due to something that happened while we were gone. As far as maturity, the last year would have changed anyone. You're not as trusting and maybe the old Harry Potter did die as you said. This new Harry is also more confident and knows his place in the world for the first time in his life but he is still a clueless git on the inside."

Harry frowned at the revelations made by Dobby. He knew that Dobby was telling him the truth and knew that Dobby was probably charged with the task of making sure he didn't do anything stupid. "Well then, I'll leave those discussions with Winky to you. Right now, I think I'll take a little nap. Taking on that much power has me oddly drained right now." He flopped down into a recliner and stretched out.

Dobby looked at him for a minute and started laughing. Harry looked over and asked "What's so funny?"

"You know that the family magic is going to be playing havoc with you all night?"

Harry smiled "Might as well get it all over with at once. Can you imagine what's going on at Gringotts right now?"

Dobby laughed and reached for the TV remote. Before he even found a show to watch, Harry was softly snoring in the chair.

Throughout the night, Harry's occlumency was sorting information as fast as it could. With the teaching he received from his family, Harry was able to master the art and even created a mindscape based on Potter Manor. The ancestral home of the Potters was filled with secret rooms that you couldn't access unless you had Potter blood flowing through you. It was also the perfect place in his mindscape to store information that could not be revealed outside the family. Harry even took it a step further and for now, sorted the different family magics into separate rooms and placed them behind blood activated runes. Harry decided it was for the best for now as it would allow him time to go through them individually before incorporating them into the Peverell family magic.

Since the first born male was slated to take the title of Lord Potter, he was required to have a second marriage ceremony where blood would be shared between him and his wife. Once this was done, she was truly a Potter and would join with the family magics giving her the ability to be much more than a mere wife to the young Lord. It was an aspect of the Potter family magic that he would automatically incorporate into the Peverell family. This simple yet meaningful rite allowed the Lady Potter or should we now say Peverell to become his partner in every way and with it being a blood bond, the possibility for betrayal was negated. For Harry, it explained the dynamic that existed between his parents and grandparents and was what he desired to share with Megan.

The real Potter Manor was much like the one in his mindscape. The sad part of it was that the house no longer existed on this plane of existence. During his time away, Harry learned that while the blame had been placed on the Death Eaters, it was really Albus Dumbledore who saw to the manor's destruction after he killed Charlus and Dorea. He had waited until James and Lily were in hiding to enact his plan and placed charms on the cottage in Godric's Hollow that would block the magic that would notify James that he was now the head of the family. After killing the elder Potters, Albus spent that entire summer searching the manor for its secrets with no luck. In his frustration, he torched the house so that he could deny any of the Potters access to the family secrets.

As Harry laid sleeping and processing all of the information, the family magic started making its presence known and things began happening all across the country.

**LC**

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office in Hogwarts feeling very confident. He had not only weathered the storm of Cornelius' attempt to get him out of the castle but he also managed to hold onto his position as Chief Warlock. By doing this, he was able to keep all the dirt surrounding what he had done to Harry Potter swept under the rug.

Harry's birthday had come and gone and his sources informed him that Bearclaw was beheaded on August first for his part in the mess with the Potter vaults. His only hope was that he had taken his secrets with him to his grave. If not, Albus could expect a visit from the Goblins very soon. He knew he was safe with the Ministry because with both Harry and Sirius having disappeared behind the Veil, there was no one who could legally press any charges against him.

It was while he sat there pondering his good fortune that he felt the castle shudder. There was a flash and Albus could feel magic draining from him as the castle cut back the power it had been feeding him until all that was left was a trickle of what he had enjoyed for many years.

The Sorting Hat started chuckling and said "Hmm…It seems that your claim to fame as a Founder's heir has been trumped. I can feel certain areas of the castle coming alive with power once again. Oh my, the Heir of Gryffindor and the Heir of Slytherin have finally revealed themselves and claimed their rights."

"How can that be?"

"Magic, what else? You know, I never understood how a selfish bastard like you could ever have been the Hufflepuff Heir. The only person you show loyalty to is yourself and has gotten so bad that even Fawkes will no longer answer your call."

Albus shot and incendio at the hat but before it hit, a glowing white shield formed around it. "Temper, temper Albus. It seems as if you aren't the bright and shining star you once were."

**LC**

All about the country, manors belonging to Harry's families started rumbling and shuddering as the wards changed over to their new owner. In the Black family manor at Grimmauld Place, Remus Lupin, Kreature, and a painting of a hag found themselves unceremoniously dumped on the front steps of the house. As soon as Kreature freaked out and tried to reenter, the wards struck and burned him and the painting he was holding to a crisp. Remus sat there stunned as he watched this but was not foolish enough to try and enter himself. Sirius had always told him that the Black family wards were some of the nastiest known to wizards and he was not about to test the waters after that display of power.

Remus stood and picked up his clothing that was dumped along with him. As soon as he packed, he turned and saw that the Black family home was fading from sight so he did the only thing he could and apparated to the small cabin he owned.

Once he arrived and unpacked, he sat in his threadbare chair and pondered the situation. It was obvious that House Black was under new leadership but he couldn't think of who it could be since Harry and Sirius were gone. He frowned as he thought of the situation Albus put them in and debated whether or not to inform him of what was happening. That idea was quickly shaken off as he now felt he didn't owe Albus Dumbledore anything after manipulating the split between the Marauders and Harry. His only hope was that Albus would attempt to enter the manor and get a good taste of the wards.

**LC**

In the depths of Gringotts, alarms were blaring as three ancient vaults became active for the first time in many centuries. As Ragnok was making his rounds, he was alerted that the Potter and Black vaults were once again pulsing with magic. He was elated that some of the older vaults were active once again but at the same time he was apprehensive. He knew only one person could activate the Potter and Black vaults which meant that Harry Potter had returned to the mortal plane. As he hurried back to his office to check out a gut feeling, another Goblin ran to him and reported that the vault belonging to the minor house of Evans was active as well. This only added confirmation to Ragnok's suspicions of who was behind these events.

As he entered his office, he secured it and went to a secret doorway behind his desk. He took out a dagger and sliced his palm. The blood dripping from his hand was smeared on his personal crest which adorned the wall. The crest glowed for about a minute before a door formed in the rock. The chamber he entered was the personal vault of the Director of Gringotts which held not gold but something far more valuable to the head Goblin, knowledge.

A quick glance around the room saw several tomes glowing in the darkness. His eyes quickly adjusted as he made his way to the Peverell family register and ledger. He opened the book to the last page and quickly scanned down to the last entry. The head of Gringotts grew nervous as he read the name Harry James Peverell and saw his other claims. With the way Bearclaw had left matters with Mr. Potter, he didn't know how to fix the problem at this point and resigned himself to wait until Lord Peverell came knocking on his door. Ragnok knew that he would have to do almost anything Harry asked in order to save his bank and his nation. It was not a position Goblins were used to dealing from and he knew it all fell on Albus Dumbledore's shoulders. The only reason why Ragnok had not moved on the man already was due to the rumors that Harry was a protégé of Dumbledore's and to move against him may have made the situation worse.

Ragnok stepped back out of his office and resealed the door to the chamber. He walked over to his desk and sat heavily in his chair before pulling out a piece of parchment and writing an order that the moment Lord Peverell showed in the bank, he was to be treated with the utmost courtesy and escorted without delay straight to his office. He added that failure to comply with the order would be seen as gross insubordination and the perpetrator would meet the same fate as Bearclaw and his entire family.

**LC**

Any properties and manors belonging to the newly titled lord were undergoing similar reactions as Grimmauld Place. If anyone was living in the homes, they were unceremoniously dumped outside the house along with their belongings as the house slowly faded from view. If Harry and Dobby had known what was going on in Little Whinging, they would have wanted to go watch the spectacle as the Dursleys were magically evicted from their home.

As Vernon was sprawled out on the lawn like a beached whale in his boxers, a piece of paper fluttered down to land on his large belly. Petunia saw it and quickly grabbed it. What she read had her deathly pale.

_My Dear Sister,_

_You broke your promise so we are taking back what is ours._

_Lillian_

Vernon looked up and asked "What happened Pet?"

"Lily took back what she paid for."

"But she's dead."

Petunia winced "Doesn't matter, we made a promise and we broke it. Magic is taking its revenge on us so I'd suggest we leave as quickly as we can."

He looked at the pile of stuff in the now vacant lot and nodded his head. He was mostly horrified that a tent sized pair of tracked up boxers were hanging from the mailbox. Petunia shrieked as she saw her granny panties hanging in a tree and quickly ran around trying to get them down. She would have been even more horrified if she knew that her special pair of leopard print knickers with PET embroidered across the bum was currently being carried off by the next door neighbor's dog.

**LC**

Harry woke to find Dobby asleep in a recliner next to him. Harry thought back on the crazy dreams he had last night where he was evicting people from houses amongst other things. He sat back with a slight smile as he remembered the dream about the Dursleys. He was half tempted to apparate to Surrey to see if it was true.

Dobby woke not long after and noticed Harry sitting there with a smile on his face. "What's got you so happy?"

"Oh, I just had a dream where the Dursleys were kicked out of their house. I could just imagine the horror my aunt would feel at having her perfect little world upset like that."

Dobby started laughing and Harry asked "What's so funny?"

"I told you family magic would give you a rough night. What you thought you dreamed was actually you taking control of your properties. I would be willing to bet that we will find a deed to Privet Dr in one of your vaults."

Harry jumped up and looked at Dobby expectantly. "Come on, I wanna go see."

Dobby laughed. "Sorry buddy but we have more important stuff to do today. Which will it be first? Gringotts or Megan?"

Harry sighed and plopped back down in the chair. "I guess it'd better be Gringotts first. I'm sure we will be there for a while. If I see Megan, I may not want to leave."

**LC**

That same morning, the Daily Prophet was making its way to houses all across Britain. The blaring front page article would mean different things to different people but to everyone who read it, they knew that a change was coming and it probably would not be for the better.

_The End of a Legend_

_By: Barry Timmons_

_After my previous article about the controversy surrounding Harry James Potter, the story of his trials and tribulations has piqued my interest. Sadly, we may never know the true story as it was reported that Mr. Potter stepped through a device that holds as much mystery about it as the savior of our world. It is with a heavy heart that I write another article about Mr. Potter now that we have more evidence to confirm his fate._

_Late last night, I was contacted by an anonymous source from the Department Of Mysteries. Six weeks ago, it was reported that the Veil of Death had claimed young Harry James Potter after acting in a manner that has never occurred in the millennia that it has been monitored. The activities of the Veil during Mr. Potter's disappearance led many in the Department to hold out in hope that he might be able to return but those hopes very quickly dashed last night. _

_The elusive department has always maintained the theory that the Veil of Death was a one way portal to the afterlife. It was a theory that has been challenged lately with the strange behavior but even more so last evening when two figures stepped out of the Veil and into the Death Chamber._

_The figures were clothed in long dark cloaks that revealed nothing of who they were. One of the leaders of the department stepped forward and made a greeting of welcoming Harry Potter back from the Veil. The figure responded with a low chuckle and replied "Harry Potter is dead." He then went on to say that it was doubtful that Mr. Potter would return even if he could as our world had done an effective job of destroying the fabled boy-who-lived._

_When confronted about their identity, the leader's skeletal hand appeared holding a six foot high scythe. The leader did identify him and his companion as emissaries from the House of Death who were here to investigate the wrongs visited upon Mr. Potter._

_When they were asked 'what was the point?' The being chuckled once again and said the point was whether the perpetrators of said wrongs would be spending time as their guests or be allowed to move on. _

_This reporter only knows of one group who openly supported Mr. Potter this last year. As for his schoolmates and teachers who were a big part of his torment, one can only hope that they have legitimate reasons for their actions. My research into the House of Death have made a very lasting impression that this is not a house one wants to cross as they make the Death Eaters look like amateurs. At least with the Death Eaters, you would eventually get a release from the pain in the form of death._

_The last time the House of Death walked the Earth was during ancient times during a time of great evil. Has our world fallen so far that they have been forced to return to the mortal plane to once again cleanse our world of evil? I'd be willing to bet that if you asked Harry Potter that question, the question would be a resounding yes. For someone so young to choose death over life speaks horribly of our society if someone we once held in such high regard was failed so miserably._

_My condolences go out to the people who surrounded and supported him at the end. I only wish that there had been more people to stand up for him like these good people did and maybe the life of an incredible young man would not have been wasted. For those of you who added to his pain, I'd imagine you can expect a visit soon._

**LC**

As Tom Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort, finished the article, a cold chill ran down his spine. He thought back to his horcruxes and knew he was beyond Death's reach in a normal situation. But if death was walking the Earth once again, what did that mean for him? He also knew that as one of the antagonists of Harry's life, he could expect a visit from these two travelers from beyond. He then did what every normal dark lord has done in the past when he felt threatened. He summoned his followers to him to act as a level of protection against these visitors. The one thing he was confident in was the steps he had taken to hide his anchors. His arrogance would be his undoing as he alone was privy to this knowledge.

**LC**

Albus Dumbledore was doing the same thing that morning. He had called a meeting of the fabled or was that fumbled Order of the Phoenix at Sirius' old house Grimmauld Place. He knew that ownership was still in question so it would be the perfect hideout until he tried to floo to the house. The first to enter the floo had been Severus Snape. As Albus was just about to enter the fireplace, Severus' charred and smoking body was hurled from his fireplace so hard that he impacted the wall opposite. Albus barely had the presence of mind to summon Poppy before sending out an emergency message to redirect everyone to the castle.

As soon as Poppy arrived, her tear stained face was just as noticeable as it had been for the last six weeks. She moved to Severus and after a few waves of her wand, she said "He's beyond anyone's help Albus. May I ask what happened?"

"He tried to floo to Sirius' old home."

Minerva walked in at that moment and took one look at Severus' body. Hearing the conversation on the way up, she said "So it never occurred to you to check the wards? With Sirius' death, they would have gone into a protective state until a new Lord Black was named."

Poppy said "Or a new Lord Black has been named and he didn't want anyone in his house."

Albus sat hard in his chair after calling a house elf to remove the body. He thought about how lucky he had been to not go first. He finally came out of his musing to say "I'm sure we have guests arriving. Please see to them and I will be along in a minute."

When he walked into the Great Hall, he saw a much smaller number of people than he expected. He then did something they never expected and called roll. As the names of the absent were discussed, he was told many times that the person 'refused' to join his group. Albus was shocked that people would actually refuse to join his side. He had no Auror contingent this time as most remembered the fate of those that had served with him before. It was well known that Albus was a pacifist and would command those under him to not use lethal spells even though he threw them on the front lines without a thought for their safety. Many of the Aurors died trying to follow their orders.

The Tonks family along with Remus claimed that they no longer had confidence in his ability to lead them citing the manipulations surrounding Harry as their reasons. Some cited that they didn't trust him with their lives if he was so willing to put Harry in danger on so many occasions.

The article from this morning's paper had left many people shaken and none more so than the Weasley family. Although Molly would still defend Albus with her last breath, none of the other members of her family would blindly follow him with the exception of Ron. They were well aware that it was Albus' leadership that had cost them one of their own. They also knew that they were just as much at fault for not questioning his directions. After this morning's article, the guilt would follow them for the rest of their lives.

As Albus sat back and looked on the weak group sitting around him, a chill went up his spine as he realized that they would not be able to protect him from the investigation conducted by the House of Death. He originally planned to do just like Tom did and place a fighting shield between himself and the threat but that shield would be made of housewives and children. Albus Dumbledore, the defeater of Grindelwald, the Leader of the Light, the once powerful and world renowned wizard, had fallen far enough to actually consider hiding behind innocents.

**LC**

Harry and Dobby read over the article at breakfast and had a good laugh over it. They agreed that Croaker was indeed as intelligent as Charlus had told them and had put the pieces together enough to ensure his cooperation in the ruse. Charlus had informed Harry during his time behind the Veil that Croaker was truly one of the good guys and once he figured everything out, would move heaven and earth to help Harry just because he was Charlus' grandson.

Dobby asked "So are you ready to stir up another hornet's nest?"

Harry ginned "Yeah, let's go make Gringotts' day."

Dobby and Harry both popped out at the same time and landed on the steps to the bank. Harry approached the large double doors leading into the bank and held out his hand. With a gesture, the doors flew open and they walked in to the lobby in their heavy cloaks. Wizards, witches, and Goblins shrunk back in fear as the skeletal hand holding the scythe appeared. The two individuals stepped forward to the station of the Head Teller that no one ever approached unless they had an appointment with the director.

With a thought, the Peverell family ring appeared on the skeletal hand and once the Head Teller saw it, he was out from behind his desk and bowing to the two figures to the shock of everyone in the bank.

"My Lord, my leader has directed me to bring you directly to him should you appear within our walls. If you would allow it, I will lead you to him personally."

Harry gave a slight nod and he and Dobby fell in behind the practically running Goblin. After a long walk through the tunnels of the bank, they were finally standing in front of a set of ornate doors.

The Head Teller bowed once again "If you will excuse me for a moment, I will announce your presence."

Again Harry nodded without saying a word. It was barely a minute later before Harry was escorted into the office where the director was surrounded by several ancient Goblins.

As soon as the Head Teller returned through the doors, Ragnok waved his hand and the doors sealed shut. "My Lord, I am known as Ragnok and it is my duty to try and repair the damage done to our relationship."

Harry said in a growl "I was not aware we had a relationship at this point."

Ragnok paled "Lord Potter, or should I say Lord Peverell, I can assure you that the traitor and his family have been summarily executed for their part in the injustices done to you. If you would allow me a moment, I will try to explain how serious I am taking this matter."

Harry nodded "You may but before you begin I have one request. I demand that Griphook be summoned at once. At this point, he is the only one amongst your nation that I trust."

The ancient Goblins were quietly chatting with each other in their own language at Harry's declaration. Harry stood there quietly listening to everything that was being said.

Ragnok bowed and said "I find it highly unusual as Griphook is a young Goblin and has not earned a higher position in our organization as yet but it shall be as you say." He punched a button on his desk and summoned Griphook immediately.

When Griphook appeared, he bowed very low to his leaders before noticing Harry and bowing low to him as well. To the shock of all the Goblins, Harry spoke in their language "Rise my friend, your honesty and integrity during our previous meeting has led me to ask for you and make a special request."

"Anything My Lord."

"I am well aware of your loyalty and oaths to your nation but if I am to remain here and discuss anything with your nation, I require that I have someone on my side. I find that my upbringing has left me woefully ill prepared to face what lies ahead. It may go against your previous oaths and I'm sure it will require the permission of your leaders, but I ask that you swear a loyalty oath to me as well so that I know I am being told the truth in my discussions today."

Griphook looked at Ragnok. It was Ragnok who spoke "I can understand your position Lord Peverell but only Account Managers are allowed to take such an oath to a non Goblin and Griphook is still a low level teller."

Harry stood there for a minute before asking "Did Bearclaw have such an oath to the Potters?"

"Yes Milord."

"Then I think our business here is concluded. I will notify the Gnomes to start transferring my families' assets from your institution."

"May I ask why?"

"You just claimed that Bearclaw was under a loyalty oath to my family but yet he still stole from my vaults and plotted the death of my family. I have no desire to remain in such a relationship as to have my death being plotted by those who have sworn to help me. In case you are not clear on the subject, I am calling into question the honor of your nation and have no desire to allow the theft and plotting against my family by your nation to continue."

Ragnok leapt around his desk and bowed in front of Harry. "Milord, please allow us a chance to atone for our actions. I will admit that Bearclaw was left unchecked for many years and that is entirely my fault. These Goblins behind me are the high council and we have implemented something that has never been needed before in our institution. We have put in place a series of checks that have us overseeing the account managers."

"You mean to tell me that they had complete control."

"Yes Milord but it wasn't until Bearclaw that we have ever had a problem in the millennia we have served the magical community. Milord, Bearclaw was my blood brother and I trusted him like no other. I trusted him enough to allow my sister to marry him and start a family. For his betrayal to not only you but our nation, I had him put to death. Goblin law is very strict on this matter and not only was he executed but his entire family as well. I personally beheaded my beloved sister."

Harry looked down at the bowing director and asked "Do you have a reason for his betrayal?"

Griphook stepped in front of Harry and said "He speaks the truth Milord. I will submit myself to your oath whether I have permission from my leaders or not. I feel it is the least I can offer you after we allowed these things to happen."

Dobby grabbed Harry's arm and whispered something in his ear. Harry asked. "Won't that forfeit your life in the eyes of your nation?"

"Yes Milord but I feel it is better to die with honor than without it. The actions of a few people in my nation have stripped us of our honor and I for one cannot live in shame."

"I then accept your oath and if they try to punish your for it, I'm sure I have a place for you in my house."

The other Goblins looked stunned. Harry took in their wide eyes and once again in their own language said "I value honor and loyalty above everything else. That the one you claim to be lowly has done more to stay my hand in destroying your nation than any of the so called high council."

An old but strong voice called out from the doors to Ragnok's office. "Well said young Lord Peverell."

Harry turned towards the voice and saw an ancient Goblin dressed in regal robes. He asked "I don't mean to sound rude Milord but may I ask your name?"

The old Goblin smiled and said "I am Ironfist or more commonly known as the Regent of the Goblin nation."

Harry bowed deeply to him and said "I am honored by your attention Sire but what possibly could draw the attention of one such as yourself to one such as me?"

The Goblin chuckled. "You really are modest like the rumors say. May I say how pleased I am that the reports of your death were premature? And please, call me Ironfist or Fist as my close friends once did."

The Goblins were standing there in shock that their king had appeared. "Only if you will call me Harry and by my side is Dobby."

Ironfist nodded "Will you honor me by taking down your hood? I feel that I would rather look a man in the eye when doing business with him than to keep things hidden."

Harry reached up and pulled his hood down to reveal his face at the same time Dobby did. Ironfist chuckled out "My, you have both changed a lot since your last visit here. I can finally see the man you were meant to be."

Harry nodded as Ironfist waved his hand and four chairs appeared before him. He gestured for them to sit and as Ragnok was moving to sit as well, Ironfist discouraged him with a glare. He then motioned for Griphook to sit as well.

"You have my personal assurance that no punishment will be directed at Griphook. In fact, I encourage the oath and approve the promotion of him to the position of Account Manager for all your accounts. To further protect your assets, I will personally oversee his work and offer you the same oath as well."

"Milord, a man of your stature should not be concerned with such trivial matters."

"On the contrary Harry. I find it most necessary to do this as the removal of your assets from our nation would quite literally destroy us. I would like to explain our system and the agreement between your family and our nation so that you can better understand. It is true that the Potters were instrumental in helping us start our business. By them placing their wealth in our hands, it allowed us freedom to invest as well as make loans to other wizards. We had no wealth of our own until the arrangement was made with your family and we owe them for everything we have. If you were to remove these assets, we would be bankrupt quickly as our income is made from managing these loans and investments which primarily come from your family's assets."

"If you are so worried about me leaving and you are aware of my anger towards your nation, why would you tell me these things?"

"I came up here with the intention of being completely honest with you. No secrets, no manipulations, no underhandedness. I know you better than you think Harry and I know you share in your family's deep seated honor. It was my hope that if I told you the truth, we could see past our differences and forge a better alliance that would benefit us both."

"I will agree to your suggestions that only you and Griphook will be allowed to handle my accounts. My personal feelings on the others are that they were only trying to save their own asses. I was taught to never put all my eggs in one basket so unless you prove once again to be untrustworthy, I will allow my holdings to remain."

Ironfist smiled. "Thank you Harry. I don't think I can thank you enough for saving my people from ruin. Is there anything else we can do for you?"

Harry gave a feral smile that was scary enough to make even a Goblin cringe. "As a matter of fact there is."

Ragnok stepped forward and said "Name it Milord."

Harry looked at him for a minute and then turned to Griphook. "I have a request of you my friend. Would you go to the Potter family vault and retrieve my mother's engagement ring?"

"Of course Milord."

"Griphook, I called you my friend so that means no more of this Milord crap. To you and Fist over there, I am Harry."

"Of course Mi…Harry. Is there anything else?"

"Yeah, I want all of my family files brought before me as well. We have some other matters to attend to."

Ragnok stood after a glance from Ironfist and said "I will get those personally Milord while Account Manger Griphook is retrieving the ring."

Harry looked at Ragnok for a minute and then said "Director, I'm sure you have someone who can do that for you for now. I think it is time we had a discussion and I even feel that over time we will become friends but right now, I have little faith in you. You have taken steps to improve your position in my eyes but deep down, I feel that you failed me in some way for allowing things to happen as they did."

"I understand Milord and personally hold myself responsible for what has happened. I will do whatever it is you ask to atone for my failures."

"That statement alone has earned you that opportunity. While I have both yours and Ironfist's attention, I need to ask what do you intend to do about Albus Dumbledore?"

Ragnok sat down in the seat that had been vacated by Griphook. He looked Harry straight in the eye and said "Truthfully Milord, I have been hesitant to do anything. It is not because of his power amongst the wizards but because everything pointed to the fact that you were his protégé. For me to act against him might have made the situation between us even worse and I could not risk that. You were sent numerous owls with letters begging you to return here so we could open communication but they always returned unopened."

Harry smiled "Do your owls still have the bracelets around their legs to show you the wards they have encountered?"

His eyes grew wide. "How did you know about that?"

"I have spent the last few years under the tutelage of my grandfather. I'm sure you are well aware of the fact that he created them for your use."

Ragnok jumped from his seat and summoned the last owl to have made an attempt at delivering a letter to Harry. When it arrived, he placed the owl on a piece of parchment and waved his hand. In the next moment, writing started appearing on the parchment and when it finished, Ragnok dismissed the owl. He went back over to the chair and started reading the report.

"It says here that the owl encountered a mail redirect ward several times regarding you and it was cast by A.P.W.B. D. That means that Dumbledore was keeping us from contacting you."

"Albus Dumbledore may have wanted everyone to think I was his protégé but the truth was he was only trying to control me and my family. I know the truth now and he has no right to interfere in my family matters."

Ironfist growled "Then if it would please the Lord Peverell, we would like to bring the full weight of Gringotts and the Goblin nation against him."

Harry nodded. "That is acceptable. I would also like to know your stance on Lord Voldemort."

Ironfist replied. "We have always tried to remain neutral in the affairs of wizards. However, I feel we can no longer continue this as it would put our relationship in jeopardy."

"Do you know who the Death Eaters are?"

Ragnok replied "It is hard not to miss the taint on their souls when they enter the bank Milord but we need ministry approval to strip them of their assets."

"What if the bank closed for a short period in order to allow Gringotts a complete audit?"

"Milord, the cost in revenue would be disastrous."

Harry nodded. He knew he could make the demand and they would comply but to do so would cause more problems for the unsteady truce they were building. It was then that Griphook reappeared followed by several Goblins bearing large files.

As they were laid out on the large marble table that adorned the room, Harry stood and walked over to them. He appeared to be leafing through them before he turned to Ironfist. He placed his hand on the Potter file and said "I, Lord Harrison James Peverell, herby absorb the House of Potter into my own and make the line extinct. So Mote it Be."

There was a flash of magic as the Potter file disappeared and the Peverell file grew larger. He then repeated the process for Gryffindor, Slytherin, and the minor house of Evans. He felt a deep rumbling and shaking in the tunnels and raised his eyebrow to Ironfist.

Ironfist chuckled and said "Its okay Harry, it's just the magic of the vaults realigning themselves and joining with the Peverell vault. Once you go inside, there will be doorways leading into the different family vaults of which none can now enter without Peverell blood flowing through them or your personal permission."

Harry nodded and then picked up the last file. As he flipped through it, he turned to glance at Ironfist who only returned a grin. Ironfist finally said "Harry, your godfather left you a letter that I think it would be in your best interest to read before doing anything else."

Harry sat back down in the chair before opening the envelope that had been handed to him.

_My Dearest Harry,_

_I am so sorry that words cannot even begin to describe my shame at my actions. I have repeatedly failed you at every turn and can offer nothing but meaningless words to try and convey my stupidity and shame. You have repeatedly risked everything for me and in my selfishness, I gave nothing in return. _

_I am writing this letter in the hope that you once again defy the impossible and return from the other side of the Veil. No matter what you may think, I love you and truly want your happiness. I know I have a bad way of showing it after listening to the old goat but if I have one desire in life, it is to reconcile with you. Contrary to what may be reported, my trip through the Veil was necessary and I will explain it in more detail later._

_As you know, my Aunt Dorea was your grandmother and I used this to support the claim that you become Lord Black. I know that I have forever dishonored the name and title and would like nothing better than to see you absorb it into your house and use the assets I'm leaving you to do something good with what remains of a once noble and proud house._

_With this in mind, I have several requests of you that I know I have no right to ask but I am doing it anyway. I don't know how much you know about the way things work and I hold myself responsible for that but if you were to absorb a house, any living members of that house would be automatically be made members of your house. What this means is that you need to cast out Bellatrix Lestrange, Narcissa Malfoy, and Draco Malfoy before you attempt to absorb the house into your own. To do this would take back any monies that were paid concerning marriages as well as call immediately due any monies borrowed from the family vaults._

_I have it on good authority that the Malfoy's fortune will be greatly diminished if you do this. _

_I have another request that I am hesitant to ask but again I will do it anyway. I have a cousin named Andromeda Tonks who was kicked out of the Black family for marrying a muggleborn. To be quite honest, she was the best of us and refused to help me in any way after learning of my betrayal of you. She, her husband, and her daughter are good and honest people. They are the type of people you need around you so my request is that you bring her back into the family. It will automatically include her daughter and will provide you with a supportive family to help you in life._

_The title of Lord Black came with one stipulation. It was an old marriage contract between the House of Black and that of Greengrass. I have heard that you are close to Cyrus' eldest daughter and I left the contract in place but with a few changes._

_I don't know what you know about marriage contracts and again I blame myself for your lack of knowledge but they are permanently binding and will transfer over even if the family is absorbed. I will leave this decision up to you but she and Miss Jones would be a strong force to help you in changing the world. Anyway, what I did was sacrifice my magic to change the terms of the contract. In the original contract, you had no choice in the matter but now you do without causing any of the normal penalties. Don't feel guilty about me giving up my magic to help you as I already owe you my life several times over and it is my job to provide you with the best possible choices for your life. This is the real reason behind by trip through the Veil. I apparated to Gringotts and did what needed to be done before writing this letter. My plan is to use the last of my magic to apparate into the Death Chamber and step through the Veil. _

_I'm sorry I couldn't be the man you needed in your life and wish you the best. Never doubt that I didn't love you. I just couldn't get my act together enough to be strong enough to be who I needed to be._

_Sirius_

Harry looked up from the letter with a blank expression on his face. The Goblins gave him a minute to collect himself before asking what he would like to do next. Harry looked up and said "Griphook, I hate to ask but could you retrieve the Black family engagement ring?"

Ironfist asked "You're going to enact the contract?"

"No, I'm going to ask Daphne what she wants. The ring is just if she decides that is what she wants and Megan approves."

"What about the House of Black?"

Harry stood and said "I, the Lord Black, hereby cast Bellatrix Lestrange, Narcissa Malfoy, and Draco Malfoy out of the House of Black and forever bar their return. So Mote it Be."

There was a flash of magic as the magic took effect. He then turned and asked "I've never met the Tonks family so would I be able to bring them into my family at a later time?"

"Of course Milord."

Harry nodded. "I, Lord Harrison James Peverell, do hereby absorb the House of Black into my family and declare the line extinct. So Mote It Be."

A flash of light accompanied the statement and the Black file disappeared only to make the Peverell files grow even larger. Harry then turned to Ragnok "I want every Knut returned to my family from anyone who has chosen to steal from us. I also claim the personal vault of Bellatrix Lestrange as she opened it when she was a member of my family. Once this is done, have a team go in and retrieve Hufflepuff's cup from the vault and bring it to me. It is embedded with dark magic and should not be touched."

"Yes Milord. At once."

Ragnok snapped his fingers and several Goblins appeared. He gave them instruction and they ran off quickly. Once they were gone, Harry turned to Ironfist and asked "So, what do you know of horcruxes?"


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

AN: As always, thank you for the support and reviews. I'm sorry for the length between posts but I've been struggling with certain parts of this chapter and have erased and rewrote some of it a dozen times. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 12

The day at Gringotts was exhausting for Harry and by the time they were done, it was well past dinner time. Harry felt they accomplished quite a bit that day and was glad the confrontation with the Goblins was behind him. The timely arrival of Ironfist was probably the best thing that could have happened. He had been watching the whole meeting and saw that communication was deteriorating quickly. In response, he did the only thing he could and entered the meeting to stop what could very well be the end of his nation. From his talks with Harry, Ironfist still knew that Harry held a lot of resentment towards Gringotts and pledged himself to do whatever he had to in order to regain his trust.

Ragnok sighed in relief that he still had his job, his head, and the chance to right the wrongs he allowed to happen to a most important client. He also knew that he would be spending a lot of time groveling to Ironfist for collectively saving him. At the present, he was focused on the audit of Lord Peverell's vaults in order to find any and all money and items that may have been removed from it. Before Harry left the office, he had vowed to do his absolute best for Harry in the future. He was well aware that since Ironfist had to get involved, his life depended on it.

For Harry, the only thing left was the reporting of the full audit and accounting of all of his vaults. Once this was complete, they would have a better idea of the damage and would propose various methods in which they could recover the assets that had been removed from the vaults. It would be these actions which would help him make a decision on whether to continue working with the Goblins or sever the ties between his families and the bank. Ironfist promised that he would be right beside Griphook the whole time and give him the benefit of his experience. With the addition of the other houses, Harry quickly became one of their most important clients in the organization that was Gringotts worldwide.

The end of the evening found the whole group tired and hungry so in order to promote the progress they had made, Ironfist invited the two young men to dine with him. They were about to decline when he made the effective argument that it was still too early to reveal themselves and there was always the thought that people would become suspicious if the emissaries from the House of Death were seen in a restaurant eating dinner. With the logic of his argument, they accepted and had an enjoyable meal with Ironfist even if his jokes were as bad as Sirius'. It surprised Harry that the topic of business never came up. In fact the conversation was about their plans and how the Goblin nation may be of assistance in them.

**LC**

After returning to the suite, Harry and Dobby once again took to their recliners as Dobby turned on the TV. Harry stared at the cup which sat on the coffee table and considered what needed to be done. He looked over at Dobby who was staring right back at him.

"If you're going to Hogwarts to see Winky, go ahead and get the diadem from the Room of Requirement. I'll stop at Grimmauld on the way tomorrow and get the locket. Once we have those, all of Tom's anchors will be destroyed and we can take him out any time."

"How is it you know where they are?"

Harry laughed "You remember that thing Azrael did before we left?"

Dobby nodded. "Well, he kind of implanted the information in my head to make it easier. He also said something about not being Dumbledore and speaking in riddles or trying to make it into some grand quest. I think he really wants this done as quickly as possible."

Dobby laughed "Yeah, the old goat does tend to make everything a lot harder than it needs to be. So, are you going to see Megan tomorrow?"

"Of course."

**LC**

Harry and Dobby separated the next morning with both going on their own missions to reconnect with their loves and collect pieces of Tom's soul in the process. Dobby popped straight into the kitchens and immediately sought out the little elf he had left six weeks previously.

As he knelt beside her, he could tell that she had sank further into depression and was wasting away quickly. He laid his hands on her and channeled some of his magic into her core. Winky was lying there and felt what was going on around her and then felt the powerful magic enter her core. As she came out of her stupor, she recognized the magic and called out "Dobby?"

"Yes my dear. It is me."

She slowly opened her eyes to see a hooded figure leaning over her. She demanded. "Show yourself!"

He reached up and pulled the hood from his head to reveal his hybrid Potter/high elf features. She looked into his eyes and raised her hand to gently caress his cheek. "What happened to Dobby?"

"That is a story better left for a private location. I have come to take you away from here so that you can care for a family again."

"What? Who?"

"Harry and me of course."

"You want Winky as your servant?"

"No love, I want you with me. There are no servants in Harry's house. There never was."

"But Dobby bonded with him."

"Yes I did but I was never his servant. I was more his friend than anything else."

"What would Winky be?"

"Bonded to me and free of the curse that has afflicted our race. We want the Winky I love to come and take care of our family just as you have always wanted."

Winky smiled "Winky be coming Dobby. Somebody has to keep an eye ons the two of yous."

Dobby smiled down at her as he stood. "You need to get yourself ready to travel. I will be back in a few minutes."

"Dobby is leaving Winky again?"

"Only for a few minutes. I will take you away from here to where you can heal and be yourself again as soon as I get back."

He popped away to the Room of Requirement and followed Harry's directions to the diadem. As soon as he found it, he conjured a box and placed it inside. He looked around the room at all the junk and thought he and Winky could have so much fun in here. He shook off the thought and slid the box into the pocket of his robe before popping back down to the kitchen. Once there, Winky threw her arms around him and they popped back to the suite.

Dobby led her to one of the bedrooms and sat with her on the bed. "Winky, do you trust me?"

"Yes Dobby"

He reached over and pulled off her worn tea towel. He then stood and took off his cloak followed by his clothes and sat down in front of her. Her eyes grew wide as she saw his body and said "Dobby is too beautiful for Winky now."

"No you are too beautiful for me."

He reached out and placed his hand over her heart as he motioned for her to do the same. Dobby closed his eyes and started channeling his magic into her. Before long, there was a soft golden glow surrounding them as they sat there motionless for quite a while. Unknown to them, Azrael faded in and saw what one of his boys was trying to do for the one he loved and he softly touched both their shoulders. The soft glow intensified and the darkness that was the house elf curse was lifted from Winky.

Dobby looked up to see Azrael smiling down at him and softly said "Thank you."

"She will need lots of rest and your attention for a while but she will get better in time. Just be patient and let her feel your love for her."

Dobby nodded and gently moved to lay Winky down on the bed. As he staggered a little, Azrael said "Perhaps you should rest as well."

Dobby nodded as Azrael faded and then curled up next to Winky and held her in his embrace as he drifted off to sleep.

**LC**

Harry popped into Grimmauld Place and took a quick look around. It was probably the largest manor he had available but quite frankly, it was a dump and he was ashamed to call it one of his homes. He put off all thoughts of what could be done to the place to follow the magic of the wards straight down to the basement and to a corner by the furnace. He found various knick knacks rolled up in a ratty blanket that was stuffed back behind the ancient looking furnace. When he unrolled the blanket, a locket adorned with a serpent fell out and he felt the dark magic emanating from it. Like Dobby, he conjured a box and placed the locket inside. The box quickly went into his pocket but it still gave him a dirty feeling. In response, he didn't want the thing anywhere near him so he popped back to the flat where he dumped the locket out beside the cup.

Harry called out for Dobby and then went and looked around the suite, he came across a partially open door and when he looked inside, he saw his best friend naked as the day he was born holding as equally naked Winky. In his hurry to back out of the door, Dobby raised his head and grinned. "Eyes off my girl Harry."

"Sorry mate. Horcrux?"

Dobby waved his hand and the box floated up and into Harry's hand. Dobby asked "Something wrong?"

"Yeah, that locket gave me the willies. Now that we have the rest of them, I'm going to call Azrael and have him get rid of them."

"You could always pop back to the Veil and step through with them. I imagine you'll have the big bad Unspeakables pissing themselves when you walk through and then walk back out."

Harry grinned and said "That does sound like fun. Be right back."

Harry ran into the living room and pulled on his heavy cloak. He went ahead and cast the illusion on his hand and created the scythe as well before picking up the boxes and popping to the Death Chamber. To his surprise, Croaker was in the room studying the Veil.

As he approached, he had a feeling so he waved his hand and the mist dissolved into the wall of water. When he saw this, he knew that he could travel to the others without consequence as they had already told him that the ring would allow him to commune with them. If he was wrong, then he knew he would be in trouble with Azrael.

Harry now knew what it meant to be the master of death so to speak as he now had no fear of dying. He was probably the only person in the world who truly knew what awaited him on the other side and to be quite honest about it, his life there was much better than it was in the living realm. The only downside was that Megan would not be there with him and that more than anything is what brought him back.

Just as Harry was about to step through, Croaker shouted out "Lord Peverell, might I come along with you?"

Harry stopped and turned to the older wizard. "I'm sorry Uncle Algie but grandfather would have my head if I took you through."

"Harry?"

"Yes Sir and thank you for continuing the ruse. When I saw the article, I knew you had figured it out."

"It was the least I could do for…"

"I understand Sir. Grandfather spoke very highly of you as well. I guess he was right when he said you would be the first to figure it out. The problem is that if I took you through the Veil, you would surely die."

"What about you?"

"Harry James Potter was already dead when he first went through. He just didn't know it yet. It is Harrison James Peverell who walked out of the Veil and who faces you now."

"But how? What happens if you step back through? Won't you die again?"

"Surely you made the connection. This Veil is really a Peverell family heirloom from ancient times." Harry heard a voice from the Veil and chuckled. "Hold on a minute Uncle Algie."

Harry leapt through the Veil and traveled through the wormhole once again. He appeared in the same room as before but not only was Azrael waiting for him but so were his parents and grandparents.

He took out the boxes and handed them to Azrael who smiled and said "Well done. I will return them to you soon."

Lily cocked an eyebrow at him and said "Already?"

Harry smirked "Yeah it's not like it was that hard after great grandfather told me what and where they were."

Lily chided him. "Don't get too big for your britches young man. You still have the harder parts facing you."

"Aw Mum, come on. Didn't you get enough of saying that kind of stuff to me when I was here?"

Lily laughed "Well, excuse me for actually getting to enjoy being a Mum since I was denied it for so long."

James asked "Where's Dobby?"

Harry blushed as Azrael chuckled out "He was busy."

Dorea inserted herself into the conversation after giving Harry a hug. "Please tell me you have been to see Megan."

"I am on my way as soon as I tell Dobby everything is okay."

"You'd better be. You've been making that poor girl wait forever. What is it with you Potters and not manning up for your loves? Your father and grand father were the same way and I had to practically rape Charlus to get him to admit his feelings for me."

"Geez Gran, way too much information there."

She laughed but shot him a glare.

"Yes ma'am. I promise to see her today."

He turned to Charlus and said "Anyway, an old friend of yours wanted to come with me and I had to explain a few things to him."

Charlus smiled and said "I've been watching and knew he had already figured most of it out. Do me a favor, tell him to get off his ass and go knock some sense in his grand nephew's head. I'm appalled that he would not stand up for you and I have a good mind to come back and haunt Algie for it."

Harry looked at him confused before James said "He's talking about Neville who is mine and your mum's godson. You need to remember that although he had Augusta, his life has still been extremely lonely. I've watched him lately and he's beating himself up pretty bad over the whole thing with you. He needs a friend like you to give him the strength to be the man he needs to be."

Lily hugged her son and said "Much like Megan, Cedric, and Daphne did for you."

Harry sighed "Okay, I get it. I just don't understand why he never said anything in the four years we've known each other but I'll approach him when this is all over."

James said "No son. Do it now or at least very soon. He is family even if he never acted like it."

"Yes Sir but can I still prank him? I mean he violated the alliance."

"You are the son of a Marauder, I'd expect nothing less."

"Speaking of Marauders, Sirius kind of made up for his stupidity in the end even if he's still a jerk. Could you guys maybe give Sirius another chance?"

Lily replied "We will….eventually…but that is not for you to decide and he needs to learn from his mistakes. Forgiving him now would not change anything."

"He's dead, what does it matter now?"

Charlus said "It matters that we don't want him living with us and turning James back into an equally stupid jerk once again."

Lily added "Yeah, five years of that from James was enough. I beat it out of him once and there's no way I want to start all that over again. Now, go and get your girl. Oh and I never thought I'd say this but go pick a fight with the biggest bully on the block."

"Hmm…which one would that be? Dimples or Morty?"

Azrael chuckled. "Follow the plan. Deal with Morty first and then we will decide what to do about Dimples."

"Yes Sir."

Harry stepped back through the Veil and when he appeared on the other side, Croaker was still standing there.

Harry smirked at him and said "Grandfather said to keep away from the Veil. He also said to go knock some sense into Neville's head for abandoning me or he will come back and haunt you."

"Could I ask you a few more questions?"

"That'd be fine but the thing is I haven't figured all this stuff out for myself. I'm afraid my answers might just leave you with more questions."

"May I ask where you just went?"

Harry laughed "That's easy. I went to the family home."

"Family home?"

"Yes Sir. I went to the House of Death's ancestral home."

"So it _can_ be used as a transportation device."

"Yes Sir but only for me and my family. If anyone else were to step through, well, they would just be dead."

"If that's true then that means that you have…"

"Uncle Algie, what it means is that I am the Lord Peverell. The only way that there can be a Lord Peverell is if the family magic has been reunited. Grandfather had more than most Potters but the connection was still incomplete."

"But…."

"Uncle Algie, the myths surrounding my family are just that, myths. The truth is more than you can imagine and on the day when your time comes, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you to get the answers you seek."

Harry smiled at the gaping man before popping back to the suite. When he returned, he went back to check on Dobby who roused a little at his presence. "I'm back, only Uncle Algie was there so it wasn't as fun as I thought it'd be. Anyway, they've been taken care of and I've stalled long enough so I'd better go see about getting a wife."

Dobby smiled and then snuggled back into Winky.

**LC**

Harry popped out of the suite and landed on the lawn of a medium sized country manor. He took a quick look around and thought of how peaceful it was here much like being outside at the Weasleys. That thought brought back a little of the pain but he pushed it down as he walked up to the front door of the manor. He was about to knock on the door, when suddenly his stomach knotted up at what he was about to do. It took a minute to calm himself and with a deep breath he rapped on the door as he knew he couldn't wait any longer.

It was perhaps a minute later when a small house elf appeared at the door wearing a bright yellow sundress. "May I help you Milord?"

"Yes my dear, I need to speak with Lord Jones urgently. Could you ask him if he is available for a private meeting?"

Jiffy looked up at him for a minute and didn't sense any ill intent. In fact, her reading of the cloaked man comforted her as if she knew this wizard. With a bow and a wave of her hand, she invited him to enter the protected foyer before popping off to inform her master.

Lord Jones came into the foyer quickly and asked "May I help you Sir?"

Harry held out his empty hands to show Reggie he was not a threat and said "Yes Sir, I find myself needing to have a discussion with you over a private matter. Could you spare a moment of your time?"

Reggie's eyebrows rose and his voice sounded guarded. "I might have a few minutes. If you would follow me?"

Reggie stepped over to a door that led directly to his office. Just as they were about to enter, Luna floated through the room and stopped dead. Her head tilted for a second before she smiled and said "Hello Harry. You're looking a lot better. Have you finally showed up to ask Uncle Reggie for Megan's hand?"

Harry shook his head and held out his arms to her as Reggie looked on with an astonished expression. Harry softly said "It's good to see you too Luna. I've missed my best friend. The answer to your question is yes. I just hope Reggie doesn't throw me out."

"He won't besides, if he kills you, you will get to go home again."

Harry chuckled and shook his head. "I never thought of it that way. It sounds like a win-win for me. Maybe you could give me some of your confidence. I'm so scared right now I'm about to pee my pants."

She giggled and hugged him once again. "I'll go tell Mistress Megs you are here."

Reggie smiled at him and motioned for the door. "Shall we?"

As soon as they were in the office, Reggie said "Please take off that cloak so I can see you. You had us very concerned for a while until you showed up in Megan's dreams. It took her and Luna to convince us that it was real."

Harry blushed. "I know Sir and I apologize for everything that I have put your family through but the whole thing was quite out of my control and the dream visit was the only way I could contact her at the time."

"Would you care to explain that?"

Harry smiled "I wish I could but most of it is shrouded in family secrecy. I will say that my Mum showed me a way to speak with Megan."

"Harry, not to sound cold but Lily is dead."

"Yes Sir but then so was I at the time."

"Then how are you standing here talking to me?"

Harry chuckled. "Well Sir that is where the family secrets come into play."

Reggie shook his head. "So, the reason behind your request for a meeting?"

"To be honest Sir, I missed her pretty badly and she was _my_ sole reason for returning in the first place. My time away has made me realize how special Megan is and how much I love and need her in my life. As I have taken up my titles, I have a year to marry or else they will be stripped from me and passed to the next generation. Sir, I…crap… I know I haven't showed it but she is my world and I can't think of living life without her. Would you give me permission to ask her to marry me?"

Reggie smiled and said "I'd like nothing better than to have you as a son-in-law now that you're actually acting like a man who truly loves my daughter. I watched you together before the third task and I thought you were well suited for each other at the time. I was even impressed at how you always considered Megan's opinion but I was concerned that you didn't love her as much as she did you."

"Sir, I can promise you that I do. I will swear it on my life and magic if that is what you require. As you know, my life before Hogwarts was not the best and showing emotion was always a dangerous thing for me to do and that doesn't even take into consideration what happened this year with the people who knew me best. All of this has left me a little guarded when dealing with others and it is a problem that I am working on but I promise you that even though I was guarded, she knew what was in here." (He finished by patting his chest.)

"Very well Harry. But know that if you ever hurt my daughter, I will hunt you down."

Harry nervously looked at him and asked "Was that a yes?"

Reggie chuckled. "Yes Harry. It was definitely a yes. I'm afraid of what would happen to me if Megan and Kathleen found out I said no. I do have some conditions; your disappearances need to stop as I don't like seeing my daughter so upset. However something you said raises a question. How is it six weeks is enough time for you to come here claiming your undying love for my daughter?"

Harry looked him straight in the eye. "It is my hope that the long disappearances are over even though the two worst ones have not been entirely my doing, I realize that I hurt Megan. I can only promise to take her with me from now on?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself son and you still didn't answer the last part."

"That is another part of the family secret but I can tell you this, it may have been six weeks for you but it was six years for me. In every day that passed, Megan was the first person I thought of when I woke up and the last person I thought of when I went to sleep."

Reggie frowned "She said that in the dream, you wouldn't see her for a while because you had other things to do. What has changed and what could be more important than my daughter?"

Harry smiled "Nothing and no one is more important than she is to me. Every day of those six years, I felt like I was missing an important part of me but what I was doing was too important for our future for me to come back any sooner."

Reggie laughed. "I'm glad to hear it son. Now, I expect you to be staying for dinner. In fact, I expect you here everyday until it is time to go back to school."

"Yes Sir. Um…do you think it will be safe to go out there?"

Reggie smirked "Of course it will be…for me."

Reggie stepped to the door and cracked it open for a second. The sight he saw caused him the quickly shut it once again. He turned to look at Harry and said "You have quite the welcoming committee out there Harry."

Harry nervously asked "Does she look mad?"

About that time, they heard a fist beating on the door and Harry started looking for a way to escape. Reggie laughed at him and then did the unthinkable, he opened the door. Before he could get it partially open, a dark haired blur pushed past and before Reggie could blink, Megan was on Harry's lap and trying to find out if he still had his tonsils.

As Reggie stood there gaping at the sight before him, Kathleen, Cedric, Luna, Cho, and Daphne walked in right behind her.

Megan had finally released his lips and they could hear her whispering and crying "Please really be here. Please don't be a dream again."

"No love, I'm really here."

"Oh baby, I've missed you so much."

"I missed you too. You're the only reason I came back."

"Wait a minute that was you who came through the Veil the other night? Where have you been? Why didn't you come see me then?"

"I…I had some things to do that couldn't wait. I knew that if I came here, I wouldn't be able to do what I had to do."

"What have you done?"

"What had to be done to try and secure our future. I'm sorry about a lot of things but none more so than leaving you and not having you there beside me to help. I owe you so much and I wanted you to be proud that I used what you all taught me to make a better life for me…for us."

"Harry James Potter, I don't want to sound like Granger but you will tell me everything, NOW."

Harry chuckled "I plan to but some things I won't be able to share just yet."

She growled out. "And why not?"

He gave her a small grin. "Well, until you answer the question I asked you in your dream, some things can't be shared."

"I'm still waiting for you to ask me properly."

Harry stood with her still on his lap and turned to where he was facing the chair he was sitting in. He lifted her up and placed her in the chair while dropping down on one knee. It was at this point that she was gaping at him that he was going to do it right here in front of everyone. The thought also flashed through her mind of the difference she felt in Harry's body. The Harry that she was with before the third task was strong but he had a wiry frame. The Harry that stood before her now was taller, more filled out, and his magic was even more intense than ever but underneath it all, she could feel and see his tenderness towards her.

He pulled the box from his pocket and opened it for Megan to see. "Megan Alexis Jones, will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

She smirked. "Yes Harry Potter, I find myself wanting nothing more and have even dreamed of you asking me once. I do have one condition."

"Anything"

"I want a Christmas wedding and you have to promise me that you will never run off without me again."

Harry kissed her and said "Would you like a magical oath or will a promise do?"

She smirked "I think I can trust you enough to accept a promise. Does this mean I have to wait until Christmas to get the whole truth?"

"The whole truth is something I can only share with my wife. But there are some things I can share but we will need to discuss them in private."

She nodded in understanding and but then kissed him hard. Once they broke apart, she rose and dragged her fiancé over to the others who were standing there smiling at the privilege of being allowed to watch what had just happened. Harry was quickly pulled into hugs in celebration of his return and their engagement.

Reggie said "I think this calls for a celebration. Kat, I think we should gather the whole family to celebrate. What do you say?"

"Wonderful idea, I'll get right on it."

**LC**

Megan led the younger generation out onto the grounds where they could sit and talk. She pushed Harry down on the ground and then sat in his lap. Harry told them what he could of what had happened to him since they last saw each other and they in turn filled him in on their lives. The conversation finally wound down and they sat there and processed everything. It was hard on the teens to think about the fact that Harry had died and came back even though they had been around during the injuries he had sustained this past year thanks to the tournament. For a while, all that could be heard was the low whispers between Harry and Megan.

She finally got up and pulled Harry with her. "We need to talk about some things and will catch up with you later."

Cedric snorted "Yeah, sure you do. You just want to go off and snog."

Megan slapped his arm. "He's my fiancé now Cedric Diggory, if I wanted to snog him, I'd do it sitting right here in front of you."

They walked off with Harry's arm wrapped around her. As they strolled around the grounds, Harry told her of all his families and what it meant as far as he knew for now. She offered her opinions and helped him prepare for this evening when they were sure he would be subjected to a question and answer session. She could tell from his silence that he had something important to tell her but he was holding back.

She stopped and turned to face him. "I can tell there's something else that you want to tell me but don't want to. I'm not going anywhere and we will deal with everything together."

He kissed her tenderly. "There is a matter that I inherited when I took the Black title."

Her eyes narrowed and she said "Just tell me!"

"It seems there is a marriage contract involved."

"To who?"

"Daphne"

She wasn't thrilled with the idea but she had become very close with Daphne and said that if it had to be anyone, then at least it was someone she loved like a sister. She told him more about her summer and how Daphne had elected to not go on holiday with her family in favor of staying with Megan and making sure she was okay. She talked about how when she woke up from helping Cedric that her thrill at the success with that was quickly destroyed by the report of his going through the Veil. She told of the deep depression and how Luna had helped her by making sure she knew that the bond was still active and therefore Harry wasn't really gone. She told him that it was the only thing that gave her hope until he arrived in her dreams. Harry turned and hugged her tightly whispering apologies for leaving her behind.

Harry told her about his studies while he was away and how he was possibly ready to take his NEWTS. Megan blushed and looked down in shame as she had given up and didn't do as they had planned by taking her OWLS.

Harry hugged her. "I'm sorry baby, it's my fault and there's nothing I can ever do to make up for the pain I've cause you."

She pulled him tighter. "Did you do it on purpose?"

"No but I still hurt you."

"No you didn't. It was Riddle and this Azrael character you told me about who separated us. When I get my hands on either one of them, they are going to pay."

They heard a low laugh behind them as Azrael faded into view. Megan gasped as the Grim Reaper was now standing in front of her. Harry instinctively moved her behind him as he said "Not funny great grandfather. Do something to show her what you really look like."

Azrael waved his hand and the reaper faded from Megan's eyes and left her looking at the image Harry was accustomed to. "I like her. She has spunk just like your mother. I'm assuming that she said yes since that worked on her?"

"Yes grandfather. She did."

"Good, congratulations to the both of you."

"Um…not to sound rude but why are you here?"

Azrael chuckled "Other than hearing my name being spoken about in a threatening manner (Megan blushed) I came to return a few objects to you."

Harry smiled "Was that the only reason?"

"No, Lily and Dorea were dying to know what she said."

Harry face palmed himself and let out a groan. "That was almost as bad as the Sirius jokes."

Azrael laughed and bowed low to Megan. "It was a pleasure to meet the future lady of my family. I look forward to speaking with you again soon."

Megan stuttered out "It was nice meeting you too and I don't mean to sound rude but I hope it isn't too soon. I also apologize for that way I spoke about you."

Azrael laughed as he faded from view. Megan finally asked "Harry was that really…"

"Yep"

"How?"

"Family secret"

"Ass"

"Yes, you do have a rather nice one. I can still remember the show you gave me the morning before the third task,"

She blushed but asked. "As good as Fleur's in leather pants?"

"Told you, huh?"

"Yep"

"Bugger"

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too Megs. Oh crap!"

"What's wrong?"

"Poppy"

"Don't worry baby. I already thought about her and had mum invite her tonight."

"You know, you are the best!"

"I know and you know what's even better?"

"What's that?"

"You're lucky to have me."

"I already knew that."

Harry slipped his arm around her and gave her a quick kiss before they walked back up to the house to get ready for dinner.

**LC**

As soon as Poppy stepped through the floo, Harry grabbed her in a hug and spun her around. It took her a moment to figure out what was going on but when she did, she screamed out his name and hugged him tightly to her. "Oh, my boy, I thought I lost you."

"Never Poppy."

When he placed her back on her feet, she straightened out her arms to get a good look at him. She then let go and pulled her wand and started waving it all around him.

"Yep, definitely alive. No more malnourishment. Good muscle tone. Strong heart. On my, your core had increased dramatically."

She pulled up the side of his shirt and looked at the scars from Victor's bite. She nodded her head. "The potions worked well then. You've gained a lot of muscle mass and quite a few more scars. Are those sword thrusts?"

"Yes ma'am. I trained a bit while I was gone."

"There's no way you gained all this in six weeks."

"No ma'am. It was slightly longer than that. I will explain later."

**LC**

Dinner that evening was a loud and enjoyable affair. The Jones were joined by the Diggory family, the Greengrass family, the Davis family, as well as the Moon and Chang families. Just as dinner was winding down and dessert was being served, the Delacour family was escorted in the room and was greeted warmly by the families already there. The chatting continued on for a while before Reginald stood and said "I think it is time we moved to the sitting room. I do believe someone has promised us yet another unbelievable story and I for one have been anxious to hear more of it since this afternoon."

Once everyone was settled, Reginald said "Alright Harry, tell us what you can."

Harry held Megan's hand tightly and said "As you can tell from what Reggie has said, much of what I've been through these past six weeks falls under the auspices of my family's secrets but I will share what I can."

"After Cedric was taken away, I was used in a ritual to return Voldemort to a body. Dobby came to rescue me and fought as hard as I did until he was exhausted. I picked him up and was about to pop us out of there when Voldemort hit me with an overpowered withering curse. The curse was killing me so my objective was altered by an ancestor and I wound up standing in front of the Veil. I heard a voice that I've only heard in my dreams or nightmares depending on how you look at it and she was calling me through the Veil. I knew I had nothing to lose at that point so I stepped through."

Kathleen asked "Who was it?"

Harry sighed and pulled Megan close to him. "It was my mum."

There were a few gasps when he said this and then he asked "Do any of you know the nature of the Veil?"

Lord Davis said "Most of us only know it as a one way ticket to death."

"And they would be correct. The moment I stepped through the Veil, Harry James Potter, the boy-who-lived died."

Megan hugged him close. Daphne looked confused and asked "Then what are you? A ghost?"

"No, I am me and as alive as any of you. I think Megan can attest to that fact."

She blushed but smiled and gave him a kiss. Lord Moon asked "So the last Potter died? Where does that leave everything?"

"In a better position than we were before. Harry James Potter may have died but it was Harrison James Peverell who stepped back into this world."

Jonathan asked "Peverell?"

"Yes Sir. If what I was led to believe is true, the Peverells were the Grey Lords who were on the same level as the Light Lord Merlin and the Dark Lady Morgana. At this point, the return of the Peverell name alone should have enough pull to unify the neutral faction."

Harry looked up after saying that and saw several frowns directed at him. Megan even slid back from him and stared at him harshly. He asked "What?"

Reginald coldly said "So you think that you can do that on your name alone?"

Harry blushed and then thought about what he said. When he realized what came out, he said "Oh no Sir, I know exactly who helped me get to the point I'm at now and if I remember from our discussion before the third task, I also said I never wanted to go alone again."

Jonathan said "I would hope that you had not forgotten the lessons you were given."

"If you only knew Sir, in addition to what my friends taught me, I've also had the political training I should have received growing up."

Lord Davis scoffed "In six weeks? So you're ready to take on the Wizengamot now?"

"No sir, I merely said that I have been taught. I never alluded that I had experience. That is something I hopefully will be allowed to learn from all of you."

Jean finally spoke up and asked "And just who was your teacher that could accomplish such a feat in six weeks as well as what had to be near constant physical training?"

Harry smiled "Reggie already knows this but it may have been six weeks for you but my reality was more like six years. And as for my teachers, I was taught by none other than Charlus and Dorea Potter. I think you would find them acceptable?"

Jean somberly replied "So you really did die."

"Yes Sir. The myths and legends surrounding the Peverell name are just that. We do not have the power over death any more than anyone else. What we do have is a connection to death that is more like being able to walk along beside him as a companion and as such, I was allowed to return so that I could fulfill my destiny."

He looked around the room and saw that no one was going to say anything. "I would have come here yesterday but I ended up spending the whole day at Gringotts. We managed to sort out some things and while relations between us are still strained, they are better than they were. It seems that Ironfist was watching and came in at the right moment to save the day at least for the Goblins."

Jonathan asked "You spoke to Ironfist?"

Harry smiled "I had dinner with him actually. Nice fellow but tells the absolute worst jokes."

Harry looked around at the Lords who were sitting there with their mouths hanging open. Daphne said "Ironfist never meets with wizards. It is said that he finds us distasteful."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, he told me that too. Said we smelled unwashed but he didn't find my scent that bad. Anyway, I did some tests for verification and they started handing me rings to put on."

Tracy asked "Rings? As in more than one?"

"Yes, Peverell and Potter of course but I absorbed Potter back into the line. The next ring was Gryffindor which I also absorbed back into the line."

Cedric asked "Wait a minute, Godric was a Peverell?"

"Yes, he was the second son of Ignotus. He changed his name at the same time the first son changed his name to Potter. Anyway, I met him on the other side and he is largely responsible for my body being the way it is."

Daphne shook her head and said "Wait a minute, you trained with Godric Gryffindor?"

"Yeah, he was a hell of a fighter but he would have given Rowena a run for her money in the brains department."

Reginald looked at him a minute while shaking his head. "I suppose you met her too? You're just having us on now aren't you?"

"No Sir, I never met her but Godric spoke of her often. I think he had a thing for her at one time. And to answer your second question, no I'm not having you on. But if the Gryffindor title messed with you, I can't wait to see what you're going to say when I tell you that I also claimed the Slytherin title and absorbed it back into the line."

Lord Moon said "You mean to tell me that Salazar Slytherin was a Peverell as well?"

"Yes Sir, he changed his name after his father, Antioch, went crazy. According to Godric, he was a decent bloke but was way too serious all the time which I guess I would be too if my bloodline had been cursed."

Tracy asked "If you have both founder's titles and absorbed then, what does it mean for Hogwarts?"

"Not much really, I'll have more control over the castle than Dumbledore but even though I absorbed the lines, the titles still technically exist. I guess I could use the title of Lord Gryffindor if I chose to but I'm good with Peverell. All I really did by absorbing the lines was to pull the family magic into the Peverell line to make it even stronger."

Megan smirked and said "I'm sure everyone is pretty stunned by all that. Is that all?"

Harry flashed a quick smile. "Not at all love, I also claimed the minor house of Evans just to keep my greedy aunt and her son from being able to make a claim on the legacy my mother left behind."

Daphne looked between the tow of them. "I know I'm going to regret asking but is that all of it?"

Harry smirked. "Funny that you would be the one to ask that since the last part concerns you."

She warily looked at him. "In what way?"

"I am also the Lord Black as well."

The entire Greengrass family gasped and then stared at Harry for a minute before a small smile formed on Daphne's face. "The ferret always claimed that he would be Lord Black and that I would be his eventually. At first, I allied with you just to piss him off. But as I got to know you, well things changed."

Harry smiled "Well you won't have to worry about that anymore since he, his aunt, and his mother were disowned from the House of Black and I have started the process to get back every knut they ever received from the Blacks be it loans or bride payments."

Jonathan spoke up. "While I am happy that the Malfoy's no longer have any kind of hold over us, that still leaves the fact that the contract now binds you two together."

Daphne looked over at Megan and saw that she was trying to keep her face as blank as possible to avoid anyone seeing her feelings on the matter.

Harry said "Yes it does but at the same time it doesn't."

Jonathan quickly said "I've seen the contract Harry. If you are Lord Black, then Daphne is required to marry you."

"Yes Sir that it the way the contract was written but things have changed recently."

Daphne asked "In what way?"

Harry said "Sirius left me a letter apologizing for everything and at the same time, asking me to agree to a few requests. The first was to take the title of Lord Black and do something positive with it. He also asked me to kick the remaining members of the family out."

Jonathan asked "That's all well and good but what does it have to do with the contract."

"I'm getting to that. He never really said how he knew but he was aware of my relationship with Megan along with my friendship with Daphne and decided to give me options and not trap me into a marriage that I may or may not want. He went to Gringotts and used his power as Lord Black to alter the terms of the contract."

Daphne asked "It's impossible to alter a contract."

Jonathan said "No, it isn't but the only way I know to accomplish this is by sacrificing your magic." He sat there for a minute and then looked at Harry. "Sirius did it the night he went through the Veil, didn't he?"

Harry quietly "Yes Sir, he said he owed it to me to make sure I had the life I wanted instead of what had been dealt to me so far. He said it was to make up for all his mistakes."

Lilith asked "What does this all mean?"

Harry stood and stepped over to Daphne and held out his hand. As soon as she was facing him, he pulled the Black betrothal ring out of his pocket and held it out to her. Her eyes cut to Megan who was still sitting there stoned faced.

Harry said "The choice is yours Daphne. Megan and I have already discussed it and while we never talked about there being more than the two of us, we decided that if there was to be another partner, you would be the exception and one we would happily live with."

"So you're asking me to marry you?"

"In a way yes, if this is something you want, then we would welcome you into our lives as more than a sister. Sirius couldn't void the contract outright so he altered it so that House Black was bound by it but it placed the choice solely in your hands."

Daphne asked "So you're saying that if I want to marry you, the contract will activate but if I don't, the contract will be voided and won't be passed on to our descendants?"

"Yes, that is how it was explained to me."

She stood there for a minute with everyone's eyes glued to the both of them. She took a deep breath and snaked her arms around Harry's neck and then kissed him. It lasted for about a minute until they broke apart and they stared into each others' eyes. If anyone had been watching Megan, they would have seen tear slip down her cheek.

Daphne stepped back and said "I'm sorry Harry, while I do love you both that was what I assume it would feel like to kiss my brother."

Harry laughed "That's a relief since the same thing was going through my mind. I'll inform Ironfist to permanently destroy the contract now that you have rejected it."

"Thank you brother. After watching the two of you together I can see that you share something very special and I couldn't interfere with that. It also makes me want to find the same thing for myself."

"I hope you find it but just remember whoever it is has to meet the approval of you brothers and sisters."

Tracy shouted "Damn right!"

Jonathan chuckled and added "Yes and let's not forget the mother and father and all your aunts and uncles."

Harry returned to his seat and pulled Megan in to his lap. Her reaction to the whole thing was to kiss Harry passionately to show her happiness. After a minute, Reginald cleared his throat and said "I think we've had enough examples of Harry's kissing abilities for one day."

After a smirk to Harry, she turned to her father and said "But Daddy, we've got to start practicing for the wedding. And if that isn't enough we've got to start making babies soon."

Reginald choked back a reply as everyone started laughing at Megan winding her father up. After things settled down and there was a stretch of silence, Lord Davis asked "I've got a pretty good idea but I want to hear it from the horse's mouth so to speak. Where does this put us now?"

Harry sat back for a minute in thought. He turned to Megan and said "We've talked about most of this so I hope you will jump in if it comes out wrong."

She kissed him and said "You'll do fine but I will always be right beside you to point out your mistakes."

Daphne added "As will I."

Everyone got a chuckle out of that especially when Harry faked looking hurt and saying "Thanks a lot."

Harry turned serious and said "I hope it will put us in a very good position. I feel the return of the House of Peverell will unite the neutral faction under our one banner. Not my banner but our banner."

Amos said "The loss of the Potter and Black votes from the light and dark factions should upset those factions's power base and with a little luck and encouragement, we could very easily draw more of the undecided houses into the neutral faction."

Harry said "Also if you throw in the Gryffindor and Slytherin votes, we should see quite a bit of chaos as well."

Jonathan said "The Peverell, Gryffindor, and Slytherin Houses all hold five votes apiece since they are Most Ancient and Revered Houses. Potter and Black each hold four votes as Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses. You already control twenty three votes."

"Yes Sir, but along with that, we need to add Longbottom and Bones with three votes each as Ancient and Most Noble Houses along with yours at four and the rest at three each. So far, we have forty six votes. How many more would we need to gain a two-thirds majority?"

Jonathan laughed and said "No wonder you have the Slytherin title, you are vey ambitious. I think a more realistic goal would be to get half. If we were to do that, the dark and light factions would not be able to out vote us unless they joined forces."

"Not that they ever would but the truth is, I'm extremely motivated. I don't want anyone else to have to live through what I did and I want our children to grow up in a better world. Hell, to be honest I want to grow up in a better world where I don't have Albus Dumbledore or Tom Riddle always breathing down my neck."

He saw several nods around the room. Reginald said "I for one think that is a worthwhile goal. How do you want to play this?"

Harry sat back once again and thought for a second. "I will assume my titles and since I'm too young to take my seats, I'll then name my proxies. If you are willing, I was hoping that Reginald would be my proxy for Peverell, Amos would take Gryffindor, Jonathan would take Slytherin, Lord Davis would take Black, and Lord Moon would take Potter. That way the votes would be spread out and all of you could work to secure more support for our side."

The five lords looked at each other and gave a nod to show their agreement.

Amos said "You're putting a lot of trust in us."

"Yes Sir but then you have put a lot of trust in me. I already said I wouldn't forget who was there for me when everyone else turned their backs. Even more importantly, we will soon be family and I know that family means something to all of you. I can see that in your children and the way they act with each other as well as the way they came to the rescue of a young man who was contemplating giving up his magic just to gain some peace in his life."

Kathleen said "For someone who was looking for peace, you sure didn't choose an easy path. We have an uphill battle to fight before we will ever see it."

"Yes ma'am but things are different now."

"How so?"

"I now have someone who has chosen to stand beside me for the rest of my life. How can I not fight for that…for her?"

There were several nods at what he said and then silence overtook the room once more. It was finally broken when Lord Chang asked "Since you are heir to Gryffindor and Slytherin, what are your plans for Hogwarts?"

"Honestly, nothing at the moment."

"What do you mean?"

"What would happen to the Headmaster's credibility when the boy-who-lived who is also the heir to two Founders refused to attend school there due to the lack of a proper education? Or even better, what if he also convinces his 'family' to also seek a better education elsewhere as the heirs and heiresses of Ancient and Noble Houses deserve more than a substandard education."

Tracy asked "Are you now making decisions for us Harry?"

"Not at all. You are free to make your own decisions about this. The only people I have any say so over is myself and Megan."

Reginald jumped up. "I am her father and until she is married, I will make the decisions regarding her."

Kathleen reached up and placed her hand on his arm. "Sit down Reggie, yelling will not accomplish anything and I for one would like to hear what he has to say. Like it or nor, the moment you gave your permission and she said yes, she was bound to him."

"Thank you Kathleen, understand that it's not a matter of control or anything else like that. You have not lived through everything that I have and you're just now starting to see the lengths they will go through to have control over me. You're going to be taking away Dumbledore's power base in the Wizengamot and he will get desperate and do whatever he has to in order to get back what he lost. I can promise you that they will try to use any and all of you to get to me."

Cedric said "But they think you're dead."

"No, they know I went through the Veil. How do you think they are going to react when I show up on September 1st to officially withdraw from the school?"

AN2: I think we will be returning to Hogwarts in the next chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own or intend to make any money from Harry Potter. It all belongs to people who aren't me.

Chapter 13

The next two weeks proved to be just as busy for Harry as the days following his return to the living world. He spent a good amount of time with Megan and true to his promise; he took her everywhere he went. Their relationship grew stronger in that time and her feelings for him grew as strong as his for her. She was in love with Harry, of that she had no doubt, but it was the strength of his commitment to her and the love she saw in his eyes for her that made her agree to marry him.

They had shared many heartfelt talks over those weeks and she knew that the difference between them was the fact that Harry had six years to come to grips with his feelings for her. They laughed when he posed that it would have taken him until he was twenty one before he ever admitted his true feelings for her.

One day she asked "Harry, where's Dobby?"

He smiled at her and took her hand. Before she could blink, they had popped away and were now standing in the middle of a luxurious suite. As was the proper thing to do, Harry gave her a tour of the suite and even stopped to show her his bedroom. She looked in at the beautiful room and blushed when he pushed her inside. As all young ladies do, she walked around the room and would pick up things here and there and look at them but the room didn't really feel like Harry to her.

"I really don't have anything here as I only really just come here to sleep. I would like a picture of us to put on my nightstand but I find myself disgusted because here you are marrying me and we don't even have a picture of us together. In fact, I don't even have a picture of my lovely fiancé at all."

She blushed but then said "Then we will have to take care of that when we get home. By the way, why did you bring me here when I asked about Dobby?"

"Oh, sorry, he's here and I needed to check on him."

He went down the hall and quietly knocked on another door, when he didn't get a response, he cracked the door open and peeked inside. The sight he saw was a much changed and beautiful Winky sitting astride Dobby as he held onto her waist as a golden glow was surrounding them. The result was a shoe smacking him in the head as he pulled back. The only thing she heard as she stood behind him was "Geez Potter, can you give us a little privacy?"

Through the closed door, Harry called back "Sorry Dobs, we just came by to check on you."

"WE? Is Megan here?"

"Yeah bro. Um…we'll leave you to it and check back later when you aren't so busy."

"Give us an hour (They heard another voice say something.) Yeah okay love, better make that two Harry."

Megan blushed as Harry laughed "They've been like this since that day I came to see you. Seems to be working too and you're going to be shocked when you see them."

The two of them left for a little while and did a little shopping. Megan used the time to get Harry some decent clothes as he had outgrown most of his stuff and was using expansion charms to be able to fit into them. Harry stopped and picked up a few things from the young ladies' section which drew a raised eyebrow from Megan but after he said "for Winky" she agreed and jumped in to help him. After two hours had passed, they popped back into the suite to find Dobby and Winky sitting on the couch. Winky sat wearing one of Harry's long t-shirts as she had nothing else to wear and blushed in embarrassment at it.

Megan reached out her hand for Winky and led her back to her bedroom where she started opening bags and helping Winky get dressed. When they reappeared in the sitting room, both boys jaws dropped at the vision in front of them. Winky stood in a yellow sun dress that brought out the olive color of her skin which was even more pronounced with her long black hair hanging to her mid back. Dobby stood and moved to her quickly pulling her into a hug.

He turned to Harry and Megan and said "Thank you. She looks beautiful."

Megan said "You're welcome. Harry started picking out things for her but I took over."

Winky said "I don't know how to thank you."

Harry chuckled. "You don't have to. We are family and so we look after each other."

She stepped over to Harry and pulled him into hug. He said "You've always been a hot little elf but can I just say damn?"

She giggled "Must be those Potter genes. Dobby said that's where most of it comes from."

Megan said "Harry said you had changed but I never expected this. You both are gorgeous."

Dobby smiled and then bowed. "Thank you Mistress Megs. That someone of your beauty would say such a thing about us means a lot. But I still wonder why you would lower yourself to agree to marry this guy."

Megan giggled and said "What can I say, love is blind."

"Hey now! You still can get out of it you know?"

She kissed him and replied "Not a chance mister. You're mine until I either grow tired of you or kill you."

The four of talked for a while before Harry finally asked "So when will both of you be able to travel again? I've been holding off some things until you are ready."

Dobby looked down for a second before saying "I'm sorry Harry. I didn't mean to slow things down. I should be ready tomorrow. Winky may take another few days."

"Whoa now, you didn't stop anything. If anything, it gave me and Megan some time together. I never meant for you to think what you did caused problems. Crap!"

Megan jumped in when she saw Harry not being able to express himself like he wanted. "Don't even think that Dobby. He told me how happy he was for the both of you and how as soon as we married, our family would finally be complete until we started having children."

Harry finally spoke. "How could I ever deny you this happiness after all you have done for me? I was just wondering as I received the notice for Gringotts that the audit was complete. It was my hope that all of you would be by my side when we dealt with that. Not only that, we need to make plans for Hogwarts as it is less than a week away. I have some ideas but I need all of your input as I want this to sow as much chaos as possible."

**LC**

The meeting at Gringotts did not go as planned at least for the Goblins. During the presentation of the results of the full audit, Harry learned that the Potter vault had been the subject of pilfering up until Christmas when the whole issue had been brought to Ragnok's attention and it was all at the hands of Dumbledore and Bearclaw. As far as the Black vault was concerned, the pilfering had continued through the day before his acceptance of the titles. He learned that Narcissa Malfoy had been the one to take the money from the vault as was her right as a member of the Black family only she had exceeded the limit imposed by the family charter as there was not an active Lord to control things.

"Where did the money go?"

"Our investigation has shown that the money taken from the Black vaults went directly into the Malfoy vaults. As far as the Potter vaults are concerned, the money was transferred into two separate accounts. One belonging to Bearclaw and another to an unregistered account holder that we tracked back to Albus Dumbledore. From that account, many payments were made to a variety of accounts under the names of Prewitt, Weasley, Granger, Snape, and Dursley. As far as the other vaults, they haven't been touched ever since they went dormant when the last holder passed away."

Megan squeezed his hand as he dealt with the emotions this news stirred in him. While he was coming to terms with what he just learned, Megan asked "What do you intend to do about this?"

Ragnok replied "We are waiting for Lord Peverell's input as to how to handle the situation. We would be willing to recover the items and the gold for a reduced percentage of what was recovered."

Harry's hand slammed down on the desk as he said "NO! You will recover what was taken from my families but as it is YOUR fault in the first place, you will not make a profit on your own mistakes."

"Lord Peverell, Gringotts does not do business that way. The percentage goes to pay the Goblins who recover your possessions and gold."

"Then pay it out of your own vault. If I find that they didn't do their absolute best because of pay, I can promise you that you will live to regret it. In fact, I want you to set up a special vault to hold everything that was taken so that I can see your incompetence for myself. Maybe then I will be able to make a better judgment of whether your nation is capable of seeing to the needs of my family."

Ragnok was shaken by the outburst. He knew he was treading on thin ice at the moment and did the only thing he could to appease an important client. He bowed his head. "It shall be as you command Lord Peverell. I will place Griphook over the recovery process."

"How much?"

"Excuse me Milord?"

"How much has been stolen from me?"

"Our estimates place it at around half of your family's assets. Not counting heirlooms, we think it could be as much as fifty million galleons."

Megan yelled "How could you miss that?"

"Bearclaw was a very creative bookkeeper Milady. We wouldn't have found it unless we did the full audit."

Harry stood and said "I've heard enough. When can I expect some results?"

"The recovery of the gold will happen very quickly as we will reverse all the transactions and pull them back into the vault you requested. The heirlooms make take some time to track but we will find them."

Megan asked "What if there is not enough in the vault to cover the amount stolen?"

"Then we will proceed to stripping their personal and family vaults until we have reclaimed every Knut."

Harry stood there for a second before he said "The Prewitt vault you mentioned, I assume it was Molly Prewitt."

Ragnok nodded.

"The Weasley vault…Ronald?"

"Yes and Percy"

Harry nodded. "Arthur Weasley is an honest man. He works hard to support his family and I don't want anything taken from his vault on my behalf. The same goes for Bill and Charlie."

"As you wish, as soon as we learned of the theft, William was brought before our interrogators to determine if he was involved. I can assure you that he had no part in this and he should recover within the next few days but he is aware of why he was questioned."

Harry muttered "This will kill Mr. Weasley."

Megan grabbed his hand. "He knew something was going on and that's why he asked to speak with you. He wants to make it right between your families."

Harry looked at her and said "How can you make something like this right?"

"I really don't know love."

After they had left, Ragnok sat back in his chair and thought about everything that just happened. Just as he turned to handle some other business, Ironfist walked in and sat in the chair Harry had just vacated. He remained quiet for a few minutes before he finally said "I don't know why I didn't take your head after the last meeting. When are you going to learn that Lord Peverell is not someone to trifle with? While it was admirable from a Goblin standpoint that you would try to make a profit, your choice in trying to do it in a situation where we were clearly in the wrong is just plain stupid. I would like to caution you when next you meet with him, one wrong word will spell disaster for us and it will be on your head that I place all the blame."

He looked at Ragnok who had still not said anything. "Mark my words, this is far from over and I can assure you, we will pay in some way that does not include paying for the recovery."

He then rose and walked out of the office without saying another word.

**LC**

Their next appointment was in the conference room of the hotel. Dobby invited the gnomes to come meet with Harry so they could work out some details.

The man that stood and greeted Harry took him by surprise. The man was accustomed to the reaction and chuckled out "No Lord Peverell, I'm not a gnome, I just work for them."

"Please excuse me Sir but the only gnomes I've seen are of the garden variety."

"Ah, that explains it. A true gnome is about the size of a Goblin but much more human in appearance. They are also very hospitable. The one's you've seen are a bastardized version thought to have been created when one of the lower castes mated with a niffler. The gnome in question and his offspring were then banished to the Isle of Britain as retribution towards the Goblins for forcing us out."

"That's just…hell I don't know what to say about that."

The man laughed and said "How can the Gnome bank help you Lord Peverell?"

"I just wanted to thank you for the way you have handled my affairs up to this point and wanted to warn you to expect some rather substantial deposits in the near future."

"We would be more than happy to handle all of your needs Milord."

"I thank you for that as well and it may eventually come to that but for now, I am trying to give the Goblins an opportunity to right some wrongs they have done."

"I understand Milord. We are aware of how tightly linked Gringotts is to your houses and we also offer to administer the accounts honoring the same contracts as are in place now but at a more reasonable rate. We would not like to see the economy of Britain fail as it would have a detrimental effect on us all."

"Thank you, I just didn't want you guys to think it was anything you have done to make me unhappy. I was asked to give them a chance."

"We took no offense. Just know that we will be ready whenever our services are needed."

**LC**

The next few days were spent planning and spending time with the rest of the family at the different houses. Three days before the train would be leaving for Hogwarts, Kathleen and Celeste along with the girls cornered Megan into a discussion about wedding plans. Having seen he was out of his element, Harry gave Megan a quick kiss and excused himself. When she quirked an eyebrow at him, he replied "As long as you are happy, I'll be happy but since you're busy, I think it would be a good time to go take care of a few things."

She nodded since she knew what he was talking about and watched as he popped away from her. His destination was once again the Veil where he waved his hand to change the iris and stepped through. Once he entered the arrival room, he thought about Potter Manor and found himself on the front steps. He spent a little time catching up and talking about all that had happened since he last saw them and then called for Azrael to start the discussion which brought him here in the first place.

After several hours and a few plans in place, he found himself traveling back to the Jones' house for dinner. Once dinner was over, they took Luna and the others to the suite for the long promised TV night. When everyone was settled, Harry stepped back to his room to find a letter waiting on his night stand.

He opened the letter which was adorned with the Gringotts seal and sat down to read. It announced the completion of their task with the exception of some of the heirlooms which were still being tracked and recovered. The letter also asked for another meeting as quickly as possible so that they could settle the matter and get his gold working for him again. His eyebrow rose at the term and a small smile crept onto his face.

When he entered the sitting room, Megan's eyes caught the mischievous glint in his eye and she asked "What've you been up to?"

He smiled and handed her the letter. Once she finished it, he said "We'll need to go back tomorrow and settle things."

"Okay, but now I want you to forget about plans, business, and everything else and just relax."

As she snuggled into his arms, he said "Yes Dear."

**LC**

Harry stood in front of an open vault and stared at the gold piled up in there. He finally asked "Just how much is there?"

Griphook replied "Not including the value of the heirlooms, there are one hundred and one million galleons in the vault."

"How? I thought Ragnok said that you guys estimated the theft to be around fifty million."

Griphook chuckled. "Yes Harry that was the amount of the theft. Let's just say that we were creative and penalized anyone who ever took money from you. The Malfoy family has had their accounts drained dry and then we started selling off their assets. They have refused to leave the family manor and have raised some serious wards to protect themselves. An unofficial report says that Tom is hiding there as well."

"Surely that doesn't add up to that much."

"No, very astute of you Harry. We drained what was left from the vaults Dumbledore moved money to except for one. It is my understanding that Miss Granger sold the books she purchased with the money she _earned_ and then cleaned out her account. The next transaction she made was to deposit the entire amount into the account for the magical orphanage in honor and memory of the friend she lost. The remainder and any shortfall came from Dumbledore's personal vault. I thought it best to charge him interest in the matter and even paid the recovery team a bonus from there as well. I would love to be there when he gets his next statement and only sees the thirty pieces of silver we left for him."

"Fitting."

"Yes, I thought so. Now the rest came from the personal and family vaults of Bearclaw. Ironfist thought it would serve well as a reminder of what happens when you cheat a client."

"Thank you Griphook, I appreciate the efforts you made on my behalf."

"It was my honor to do so Harry."

"Please do not take offense at what happens next."

Griphook chuckled "I already have the transfer order filled out and waiting for your signature. I would honestly do the same thing if I were in your shoes."

"You know my offer was genuine. If you ever find life here unbearable, come find me. I will always a place for you."

Griphook bowed to him and then escorted them to Ragnok's office who had a greedy gleam in his eye as soon as he saw Harry. "Ah Lord Peverell, are you ready to put that money back to work for you?"

"Yes I am." Harry placed the transfer order on his desk.

As soon as he read it, Ragnok asked "What is this?"

"I thought it was obvious. With the exception of Griphook and his team, Gringotts does not deserve to touch the gold that you allowed to be stolen from me. I will not subsidize Goblins who have no concern over the accounts of my houses and just look at me as a way to line their pockets. I will warn you now that any further mistakes on the part of Gringotts will see me pulling everything out. And before you even bring up the loans and everything else, I've already had a very lucrative offer from the Gnomes to manage those accounts."

Harry nodded to Griphook and they were led from the office. As they walked down the hall, they conveniently ran into Ironfist. Harry bowed low.

"Milord, I thank you for your assistance. Please understand that my actions today were nothing personal and just business."

"I understand completely Harry. I am in agreement with Griphook in this matter and am grateful that you are at least allowing the remainder of your accounts to remain here for the time being."

Harry smiled "I couldn't allow anything to happen to the two men who I now consider friends."

Ironfist bowed low. "For a human, you don't stink so bad."

Harry laughed and replied "Neither do you for a Goblin. If you need me, you know how to find me."

"What will you do next?"

"It's time to sow a little chaos."

Ironfist gave him a feral smile. "Your father would be proud. I return your sentiments, if you need me; you know where to find me."

**LC**

On August 31st, owls were winging their way from Gringotts with the most up to date account statements for all their vault holders. In Crawley, the ledger that was received showed a zero balance and also had a letter attached from the orphanage thanking her for her generous donation. The young lady had lived through a rough summer with her parents and was looking forward to returning to Hogwarts in order to try and prove herself a trustworthy person once again. The only thing she knew for certain was that this was going to be an even lonelier year than the one that just passed. The loss of Harry was hard on her and she mourned his loss along with the loss of the opportunity to ever get to the point where he would at least speak to her. Finding someone to hang out with would be difficult as no one was guiltless in Harry's betrayal and the only ones who were would never accept her into their company. She walked into her father's study and laid the ledger sheet along with the letter on her father's desk in the hope that he would one day be proud of her again.

Harry received his statements along with a letter from Griphook. The letter stated that he was to receive the estate of Severus Snape along with a personal letter. Harry thought about it for a minute before writing back saying that it was his wish that Griphook liquidate the estate and in turn donate it to the magical orphanage. As to the letter, he said to burn it as he had no desire to ever be subjected to the demented ranting of the arsehole.

Albus Dumbledore saw his statement and sat it to the side. He knew he had more than enough money than he would ever need. His first signal that something was wrong would be when he saw Molly Weasley storming into the castle the next day after dropping her kids off at the express.

Another owl was making its way to the Burrow that was close to the Jones' home. Ron and Molly hurried to get their statements before Arthur saw the owl. As soon as he entered the room, they hurriedly pocketed the ledger sheets as he sat down to look at what he had to work with. He released a sigh that he never had enough to meet their needs but was always positive that things would work out.

As Molly and Ron both snuck off to check their balances, the screams of 'no' could be heard all the way to where Harry and Megan were sitting out on the lawn and enjoying a quiet evening together. She kissed his cheek and chuckled out "The Weasleys must have got their statements."

Harry smiled at her and said "Sounds like it to me. You can't miss the cry of anguish from Ronniekins or the harpy like screech of Molly when something doesn't go her way."

She pulled him down onto the blanket they were using and held onto him as it was their last night together. After a while "Promise me you'll be careful."

"I will as long as you promise me to keep your head down no matter what happens until we have control of the situation."

"But…"

"But nothing. Dobby has my back. We'll be fine."

She snuggled into him and replied "Yes dear."

They stayed like that until it was dark and Kathleen called Megan back into the house. As they parted, Harry gave her a passionate kiss and told her he would see her in the morning.

**LC**

Harry arrived early in the morning as Kathleen and Megan were wrapping up the preparations for her return to Hogwarts. While they were busy, Harry was down in the study with Reggie discussing things that Reggie did not want to hear.

"If things don't go according to plan, I've left Megan everything so that you guys can continue to make the world a better place."

"Why does it fall on you? We would be more than happy to help you with this."

"Who else is crazy enough to do it?"

Reggie nodded. "Just make sure you make it out alive. I can handle almost anything except the broken look on her face that I saw when it was reported that you went through the Veil."

"Dobby will get me out if necessary and Winky will be poised to grab Megan and bring her home. Just make sure all of you get out as well."

"We'll have your back if you need us. Just be careful son. I also want to apologize for yesterday, I'm kind of..."

"No need for apologies. I never meant to make it sound like I wasn't going to consider your opinions. I'm just a little protective myself. Let's just write it off to emotions running high."

Reggie nodded.

Megan came down and shared a long kiss with Harry before her parents pulled her away in order to get to the station on time. "I love you and will see you this evening."

"I love you too. Please don't make me a widow before I even get to marry you."

"Everything will work out fine. Just tell everyone to keep their eyes on Dumbledore."

She gave him another kiss before disappearing with her parents.

**LC**

Harry popped out right after them and met Dobby at Kings Cross. They stayed invisible as well as stayed in the shadows to watch over the family.

As soon as Megan and her parents met up with the rest of the family, Daphne was casting her eyes around and noticed a subtle shake of Megan's head. "He may be here but we won't see him unless there's a problem."

Cedric escorted Cho and were chatting with the others when Susan and Hannah made an appearance. They simpered out 'Good Morning Cedric' as the others rolled their eyes. "Hello girls, aren't you a little young to be here without an escort?"

The blushes and shocks on their faces were evident as they hurried off to the train. Daphne laughed and said "That was just mean."

"Yeah way to go big bro. You just called them little girls."

Cedric smirked "Oh, I didn't realize."

Cho giggled and gave him a long kiss before boarding the train. It wasn't long before goodbyes were said and they all gravitated to the same compartment."

The last to arrive was Luna who said "Your fiancé was watching us the whole time. If I didn't know him better, I'd think he was one of those guys who preyed on young girls. Oh sorry, that was Viktor wasn't it."

They were disturbed from their laughter by a knock on the door. When they looked up, they saw Hermione Granger standing there and Tracy moved to answer the door. "May I sit with you?"

Daphne looked up and said "I don't think that is such a good idea Granger."

"Why not?"

"Because we may discuss things that we wouldn't want the Headmaster to know about. It's nothing personal, well yes it is because even with my reputation, I wouldn't screw someone over for money and then break his heart as an encore."

Hermione looked stunned but stood there and took the abuse she knew she deserved.

She then heard a dreamy voice say "Is this going to be like one of those showdowns like we saw on TV the other night?"

Megan looked at Luna and saw the glint in her eye. She smirked and played along. "What do you mean Luna?"

"Well we have the Ice Queen of Slytherin facing off with the Heartless Bitch of Gryffindor. It should be quite the show."

Hermione stood there for a minute before she calmed herself and said "I know I deserve it and if Harry were here, I'd be on my knees begging forgiveness for what I did."

Cho coldly said "You tried that and if I remember correctly, he didn't want to hear what you had to say either so move along. We have better things to do than sit here and talk to someone we wouldn't choose as a friend if they offered us all the gold in Gringotts."

After Hermione left, Lilith said "That was rather harsh."

Megan replied "Your point is? You weren't there to pick up the pieces that were left of Harry's heart."

Luna chipped in "AH, but you were."

With a smile, Megan replied "Best thing I ever did. Now, while there are no interruptions, my fiancé asked that you keep your eyes on the Headmaster tonight."

Daphne asked "Do you know what he is planning?"

"Not entirely, he just said for us to protect ourselves and keep an eye on the old fool. I wouldn't be surprised at anything that happened tonight."

Daphne said "Stupid Gryff is going to get himself killed one day."

She looked up when she said that and saw the wide expressions of shock on everyone's face. They calmed when Megan said "Won't be the first time but at least he has a plan this time."

Everyone nodded at her comment and settled down for the long ride. They were mostly left alone as no one could withstand the glare cast by the girls whenever someone attempted to enter their compartment.

**LC**

Harry and Dobby were watching as the large group of officials along with lords and ladies made their way across the grounds and to the doors of the castle. Harry took a deep breath as he stood outside the wards that surrounded Hogwarts. He knew that the moment he crossed them, he would be committed to the plan. He felt something reach out and touch his magic and at that point, he felt he could communicate with the castle so he asked that his presence as the heir to Gryffindor and Slytherin be suppressed for the time being.

After seeing the group disappear into the castle and another deep breath, he turned to his companion and asked "You ready for this?"

Dobby chuckled and said "Yeah like you can ever be ready for something like this. You do realize that we are going to be staring both of your enemies in the face tonight?"

"Your point is?"

"You could die."

It was then that Harry let out a laugh. "Dying isn't so bad. It's living that's tough."

"Are you ready to face _them_ again?"

"Not really but hopefully they will be off balance. I can imagine the faces when they see me alive."

"Want to lay odds on how many piss their pants? I've got friends amongst the house elves. I'm sure they would be happy to pass it along the results of their cleaning."

"No bets, I remember the last one and I'm not sure how you could top making me streak past the Pearly Gates."

Harry got serious for a minute and said "If this goes bad, get Megan and you get out of there. I'm counting on you to take care of her."

"Don't worry."

"I don't. Thanks for always being there when I do something stupid."

"There's no place I'd rather be."

They pulled the hood of the heavy cloak over their heads and then both cast the glamour that made their hands and heads looked skeletal. Dobby picked up two sticks and handed one to Harry. With a glow of their hands, the sticks were transfigured into long scythes. Dobby finally laid his hand on Harry's arm and they disappeared.

**LC**

The Sorting Hat was just finishing up placing the last of the first years when the doors to the Great Hall swung open to reveal Minister Fudge leading Amelia Bones as well as a few of her Aurors into the hall. If that wasn't enough, they were followed by Augusta Longbottom and a good amount of Lords and Ladies of the Ancient and Noble Houses.

Albus nervously stood "Good evening Minister, Madam Bones, and dignified guests. This is an unexpected surprise. May I ask what brings you to Hogwarts this evening?"

Cornelius Fudge stepped forward "That's what we would like to know Headmaster. We all received invitations requesting our presence here this evening."

"I can assure you I haven't sent out any invitations. Minerva?"

"No Headmaster, according to the schedule, it was to be a standard welcoming feast with no special guests invited to attend."

Albus looked confused for a minute before a flash occurred in the hall and another table appeared. "Well it appears as if the castle is aware of your invitation and has made accommodations. Won't you join us then?"

Albus waited for the visitors to be seated before he made his way to the podium for his start of the term announcements. Just as he was about to open his mouth, a cold voice echoed around the hall.

"Ah good, everyone has arrived. I guess that means we can get this party started."

As everyone was looking around the hall for the person behind the voice, two figures in long cloaks appeared on the steps leading down into the hall. There were startled gasps as they got a better look at the hooded duo and saw the skeletal hands and the long scythes they both held.

Albus asked "May I ask who you are and what your business is here this evening? This is a school and therefore visitors usually ask permission before arriving in the castle."

"I find it ironic that the Minster and his entourage were welcomed with open arms and yet I am not. What's the matter Headmaster, afraid of what they might overhear? Are you afraid that these Lords and Ladies would not be susceptible to compulsion or memory charms? Aren't those your weapons of choice?"

Minerva was on her feet instantly coming to the defense of Albus. "You are not welcome here and it would be wise for you to leave and cease the disparaging of the good Headmaster's name."

Harry chuckled "Headmaster, you need to put a leash on your pit bull before she gets slapped down with a rolled up newspaper."

He then turned to McGonagall and said "Don't worry Professor, his won't be the only reputation torn asunder this evening. Be patient, your time is coming as well."

Minister Fudge stood "Milord, may I respectfully inquire as to your identity what your and our purpose is here tonight?"

Harry gave him a slight bow. "Of course Minister Fudge however I would think that our identity would be very plain as we were reported to be here several weeks ago. But for those who haven't made the connection, we are emissaries from the House of Death who were sent here to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Harry James Potter. We asked you here to bear witness to the results of our investigation as we seek recompense for an innocent who was treated unjustly."

Amelia stood "Milord, under our laws, everyone is entitled to a fair trial before a panel of their peers. I mean no offense but I don't believe in kangaroo courts."

Harry said "And where was this justice for Harry Potter? Why did a young man in his prime choose death over life?"

A surge of fear went through Albus as he heard those words. He knew who was responsible for ninety-five percent of the things that had been so wrong in Harry Potter's life. His fear's of everyone finding out everything he had done to the boy were being realized as the statement from Gringotts proved this morning. His mind was whirling as he tried to figure a way to turn this conversation to his advantage.

Albus said "I can assure you that we were all very distraught at the loss of Mr. Potter. He had many friends here that truly miss him and would like nothing better than to make amends for some minor mistakes they made last year."

Harry chuckled "I fail to see how you can consider their actions minor mistakes. How can you trivialize their actions that were the cause behind a young man preferring losing his magic or his life to get relief from the life he had to lead? What about your mistakes old man? Would you beg for forgiveness for the atrocities you allowed to happen to him if he were to appear before you?"

"I always did what was best for the boy."

"And I'm sure he will return the gesture ten fold when you meet him and his family on the other side. I can assure all of you that he is waiting patiently for his chance at getting his pound of flesh."

McGonagall stood and pleaded "Please Milord, there are young children present. Don't subject them to whatever it is you have planned this evening."

"Ah, Professor Minerva McGonagall, you must have been feeling left out but I can assure you that Lady Lily is especially waiting for your appearance. It seems you made a promise to her many years ago to look after her infant son if something were to happen to her. Her contempt for the Headmaster is only surpassed by her contempt for you. She considers you an oath breaker and a child abuser and therefore deserves the very worst fate imaginable. I would also like to point out that your compassion and concern for your students seems to come somewhat late if you ask me. Well, let me rephrase that. You have always shown a lot of compassion for your students unless their name was Harry Potter."

Minerva dropped back into her chair in shock at those words. The cold chill that crept up her spine caused her to shudder at the meeting that awaited her with someone she had considered almost a daughter. Her eyes closed and she could picture those emerald eyes turning on her in hate.

Poppy stepped forward and pleaded "If you will not do it for her, will you do it for me? Will you allow the younger children to leave the Hall since they had nothing to do with the issue which you are here for?"

Harry bowed deeply to her and said "Harry always spoke very highly of you and asked that we grant any request you made. The first, second, and third years may leave."

"Thank you. Would you allow me another request?"

Harry nodded. She asked "Is Harry happy now?"

"Yes ma'am. Harry James Potter said that death was the absolute best thing that ever happened to him. He also wanted us to tell you that he thought it was time for you to leave the castle before your soul was corrupted by those around you."

She smirked "So he is still the cheeky little bugger that he always was?"

"Even worse, he has his heritage now."

Albus couldn't stand not being the center of attention and asked "And what heritage is that?"

"Oh that would be the heritage you denied him all these years Headmaster. It took his death to gain everything that you had tried to hide and steal from him."

Albus tried to raise his wand but before he could do anything, Dobby had him bound in magical ropes and suspended just above the floor as the wand flew straight into his hand. McGonagall and Flitwick moved to defend him but were met with a mocking voice. "Do you really want to throw away your lives that carelessly? Perhaps you could place him back on his throne so that he can lord over these proceedings as he tried to do over Mr. Potter's life."

Dobby waved his hand and Albus was floated to his throne and dropped into it with and 'oomph'. "I'd suggest you join him so that we can get on with the entertainment for the night."

As they walked down the hall to the head table, Poppy started to usher the younger years out but Harry asked her to stay. He nodded to Dobby who snapped his finger and the head elf appeared. "Please see to the children and make sure they are fed and tucked in."

"At once Milord. If there is anything else Milord requires, just name it."

"Thank you"

Minerva sputtered at the elves following the intruder's orders. "Just who do you think you are to come in here and take over like you own the place?"

Albus looked up at the cloaked figure as he started laughing and knew his fate was sealed. "It's funny you should ask that but perhaps we should save that little tidbit until later. Just know that I have more right to be here than anyone else in this castle."

He turned back to Amelia and said "I find it relevant to our discussion that Madam Bones brought up the law of the land tonight. I know that she holds great stock in the laws and does her utmost to see them followed. We have also witnessed Minister Fudge as well as many of these fine Lords and Ladies who also try to act within the law but there is one amongst you who sees the laws as his own personal playground. He uses the loopholes that he helped write into the laws for his own benefit."

Amelia stood "Would you please elaborate?"

"I had no intention of going into this tonight but circumstances dictate otherwise. I would first like to begin with a sad tale. You see, there was once a young couple of an elevated house that had a son. The couple was smart and did everything in their power to make sure that their son would be taken care of in case something happened to them. From what I understand, there was a war going on at the time. They made out a detailed will that made sure their son would be well cared for under the proper guardians that they had picked out and trusted above all others. There was another man who was hell bent on gaining control over their elevated house and saw to it that the parents of the father of the young boy met an untimely end. At the time of their death, the young couple was behind wards cast by this man that were charmed so that the young father would not be notified of his parents' deaths and therefore did not take up the title of his father's house. For simplicity's sake, the bad man who caused all this spent the entire summer searching and ransacking the family manor trying to find the family secrets while the young couple was hidden away. After a frustrating and unsuccessful summer, he torched the manor and blamed it on a rival group."

The whole hall was engrossed in his tale and were shocked when he walked over to Albus and asked "Does any of this seem familiar to you?"

Harry stepped away to collect his thoughts. "The bad man then turned his attention to the young couple and set them up to be murdered but by accident, their one and a half year old son survived. At first, the bad man was upset by this turn of fate but then he saw an opportunity to gain control over the house by controlling every aspect of the baby's life. He sealed the young couple's will and then called in some favors to have himself given the position of guardian to the child and on his own authority, he dumped the child on his mother's sister who was well known for her hatred of magic as well as her sister."

Minerva put a hand to her mouth.

"I think Professor McGonagall finally put the pieces together and realizes who I am speaking about since she was one of the ones who helped perpetrate the crime. Anyway, the boy was dumped in the muggle world where he was beaten, starved, and treated no better than a slave for the next ten years of his life. This boy who was the heir of a Most Ancient and Most Noble House was not told his name until he was six years old and was told his parents were drunks who killed themselves in an automobile accident. The kindest name they had for him was 'boy' but he also answered to 'freak' since that was what he was called most often."

Harry sarcastically said "When the young man turned eleven, a _miracle _happened and the boy was rescued and brought into a whole new magical world where he found out he was famous. There were high expectations placed on the young man and each year, he found himself thrust into more and more dangerous situations. In first year, he fought a troll, killed a man and found out there was a bad man that wanted to kill him. In second year, he grieved over his friend who was petrified and fought a sixty five foot basilisk to save the sister of his other friend. He almost died that night but was saved by the Headmaster's phoenix only to almost have his soul sucked out by Dementors in his third year. That year he also found his godfather but the bad man did everything he could to keep him away from the young man. In fourth year, he was made into an outcast and found out that the two people he loved more than anyone else were paid to be his friends and were reporting back to the bad man. He felt he couldn't trust anyone at that point so he forced anyone who tried to get close to make oaths for him to even trust them. He competed in a tournament against his will and almost died and at the end of the second task, the second bad man cast a curse at him that gave the young man something he had never had before. A choice."

Everyone was sitting there stunned. He once again said "Whether you believe this story or not, it is the truth from the young man's point of view but one thing you must remember is that one way or another, his death was always guaranteed by the man who set up his family to die."

Lord Greengrass stood "Milord, may I ask if you know the reason behind the denial of the young man's heritage?"

"Yes as it was obvious when we spoke to the Goblin king. It was done to hide the fact that the man was robbing the young man blind of his inheritance. We can only assume that it was done since the young man was never expected to survive his education."

Augusta Longbottom stood "Not that any of us have any doubts but could you name the man responsible for all this? And is Mr. Potter truly better off now?"

Harry chuckled. "Madam Longbottom, as I'm sure you have guessed, the man who orchestrated this whole thing is none other than your esteemed Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. If you would like me to name his accomplices in the circumstances surrounding Mr. Potter, I would have to say the entire staff except for the Healer and the entire student population save eight. As to your second question, as I answered earlier for Madam Pomphrey, he was given a choice, he could stay here and continue in his miserable existence or he could step through the Veil and take a chance that there was something better for him on the other side. It took him all of a second to make that choice as he thought oblivion would be better than what he had."

There were tears falling from quite a few eyes after hearing all this. Augusta reached out for Amelia and grabbed her hand. Amelia stood "Houses Bones and Longbottom failed to do our duty to House Potter and therefore we seek your punishment for our transgression."

"I find it extremely refreshing that you want to atone for what was done. It almost restores my faith in wizard kind. If you truly wish to atone then it is only fitting that your Houses suffer the same fate that House Potter did due to your inaction. My recommendation would be for you to sterilize your heirs and let the lines die out just as the Potter line has."

The whole hall gasped at this suggestion. Augusta stepped forward and said "It is only fair. I will see it is done."

Everyone turned around as they heard a thump as Neville passed out on the floor. Susan did the same when Amelia agreed as well saying that it was a just punishment.

Harry chuckled out. "I don't think that will be necessary at this time. House Potter does not feel you are to blame for what has happened as it was manipulated so that you couldn't do your duty. However, I would not tell your heirs for some time as they need to understand the severity of their actions."

Amelia said "It will be as you say Milord but may I say in my experience, you know way too much from a mere investigation."

Harry chuckled again "Then I'd suggest you stick around for the second act. I promise it will be even more revealing."

Albus broke his bindings and stood. He pointed his finger at Harry and yelled "Everything you have said is all lies and fabrications. I don't know what you are trying to accomplish here other than to ruin my reputation but I can assure you I won't stand for it. Even if it were true, you are telling us things that you could not possibly know. I don't know how you can expect anyone to believe these outrageous lies."

Harry stood there for a minute. "Hmmm, I can see your point. I would be willing to take an oath that everything I said was the truth."

Madam Bones said "I'm sorry Milord but that would not be acceptable as you cannot legally swear to hearsay as it allows for rumor and conjecture."

Harry was trapped and he knew it. He could reveal himself now or he could back down. He had cast doubts on Dumbledore and it would hopefully be enough to get people looking in the right direction now. His eyes moved to Reginald who gave a nod. He then moved back over to Dobby who whispered "You'll never have a better chance. Finish the old goat off."

He then looked around the room until he was staring at Megan. He could see the love in her eyes shining back at him. He watched her lips mouth "Do it!"

With a nod, he turned back. "No Madam Bones, I would not be swearing to hearsay. I would be swearing to what I lived."

It took several moments before realization started setting in and gasps were heard all around the hall. He stood before Madam Bones for a minute before lowering his hood. As she looked up, she saw two glowing emerald orbs staring back at her.

From the crowd, there were shouts of "Impossible" and "It has to be some kind of hoax. He lied _last_ year." The most recognizable was "Bloody Hell"

Amelia was still stunned and could only say. "But you went through the Veil."

"Yes ma'am, and gave up a life of ridicule, abuse, betrayal, and sorrow as the boy-who-lived or whatever rot you people decided to call him."

Amelia stood for a minute before asking "Poppy, could you come verify that he is who he says he is and that he is indeed alive?"

"I verified it last night. Even saw the scars."

Amelia said "Mr. Potter, I'm afraid that will not be good enough. Either you have done something that was thought to be impossible or you perpetrated the biggest hoax known to wizardkind."

Cho stood and said "Madam Bones, you're talking about Harry and if you knew him, you would know that nothing is impossible for him."

Harry flashed Cho a grin before saying. "Madam Bones, it was no hoax and the only answer I can give you as to how it happened would have to be classified under family magic that cannot be revealed to anyone outside my line. How about this?"

"I swear on my life and magic that Harry James Potter died when he went through the Veil. So Mote It Be." The oath was accompanied by the expected flash of magic.

Albus said "Very slick Harry. However you did not swear it on your name so it is not binding. If you are not Harry James Potter, then who are you?"

Harry smirked. "One topic at a time. Why don't you summon the student registry book and see what it says about me?"

Albus turned to Minerva who summoned the book, when it landed in front of her; she turned to the correct page and paled. She said in a shaky voice "Harry Potter's name is in red indicating he is dead. There's no way to cheat or fool the book."

Albus looked at him warily. Harry asked "Is there anyone new listed in there?"

"It says….it says…" She looked up wide eyed in disbelief.

Megan stepped forward and grabbed Harry's hand. In a strong voice, she said "It says Harrison James Peverell, the Lord Peverell, the Lord Gryffindor, the Lord Slytherin, the Lord Potter, and the Lord Black."

Albus said "How is that possible?"

Harry said "You should know Headmaster; you nosed around in my family's business for years. It was ancient magic stemming from the creation of all magic. It was magic an evil light wizard such as yourself would never understand because it is pure unlike you."

Someone yelled out "How can a light wizard be evil?"

"The same way a dark wizard can be good."

Ron said "All dark wizards are evil."

Harry smirked "I'll tell Moody you said that next time I see him."

Harry then stepped away from everyone and around the head table. As soon as he was below the large Hogwarts seal, he raised his hands and it lowered to the floor. He took out the ritual knife and sliced his palm. Everyone sat there with there mouths hanging open as he smeared his blood over the Gryffindor and Slytherin sections of the shield. As soon as it was raised back into place, the shield flashed with a bright white light.

Fudge asked "What was that? You know blood magic is against our laws."

Harry smirked. "I just claimed my station in the castle as the heir to two Founders. As far as Hogwarts is concerned, putting on the rings is not enough."

Minerva asked "What does that mean for Hogwarts?"

"It depends."

"May I ask your meaning?"

"Yes, it depends on how bad you piss me off the rest of the night whether or not I remove the name of Gryffindor from the list of houses."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because there's no way I want that bunch of back stabbing traitors to share my name in any way. They are an insult to the name Godric Gryffindor."

Harry walked away from her and escorted Megan to her parents and motioned for the other girls to join her. Everyone grew quiet as he hugged each one of them. "Protect yourselves and watch out for the old fool." Megan kissed him hard and said "Wrap this up love, I want to go home."

He gave her a smile and moved back to the entryway. He said "Well, now that you know a little more about my life, it's time we got to the real reason I wanted witnesses here tonight. It was my intention to have you bear witness to the destruction of a dark lord but I never thought I'd get a two for one deal."

Albus said "Are you going to kill me Harry?"

"Oh no Dimples, I've done far better than kill you. I've ruined the reputation you've spent a lifetime building. I've made it possible for everyone to remove their blinders and see you for who you really are. It is my hope that you will just fade away into obscurity but if you ever come after me or my family again, I promise you that I will kill you."

Amelia asked "May I ask what your true purpose here is?"

Harry smiled and turned to Dobby. "You ready?"

"Always"

"I, Harrison James Peverell, the Lord Slytherin, command that the member of my line known as Tom Marvolo Riddle appear in front of me at once. So Mote It Be."

As soon as he finished, there was a flash of magic and Lord Voldemort appeared followed by screams and people scrambling as far away as they could get. As soon as he arrived he screamed "I am Lord Voldemort. Nobody summons me."

"Yeah well Morty, I just did."

"Ah young Harry, were you eager to meet me again? I see you recovered from the withering curse I hit you with."

"No Morty, I died from it but as you can see, I'm feeling better now. You know, the more I think about it, you really aren't much of a dark lord if you can't even truly succeed in killing me. What that's five times now? You've almost caught up to Dimples over there."

Harry glanced around the room and saw most everyone cowering in fear. The only ones standing were the families who had supported him along with Amelia and Augusta. He was disgusted to see that even the professors were hiding behind their table and not moving to protect their students.

"I will not tolerate your impertinence." His wand came out and he fired off a killing curse which Harry dodged. As he spun around, Harry pulled his wand and fired a bludgeoning curse which sent Tom flying. He landed with a thud on the Slytherin table and before he could blink, Harry was standing over him.

Harry raised his hand and the sword of Gryffindor appeared in his hand. "You see Morty; I didn't summon you tonight for you to have the opportunity to try what you have failed at so many times. No, this is about me finishing the job I started fourteen years ago."

Albus moved towards them to try and stop Harry but was too late as the sword flashed and Tom's head rolled down the Slytherin table for each and every one of the junior death eaters to see. Harry looked up and said "So what do you guys think about your master now?"

Albus said "What have you done? He'll be a spirit again."

Harry smirked as he reached into his pocket and started pulling out the horcruxes. As soon as he saw them, Albus' eyes widened. Harry said "You knew all along didn't you?"

Albus couldn't even meet his eyes. Harry jumped off the table and with a wave of his hand; the head and the body floated off the table and came to hover in front of him. He walked back to the entryway where he placed them on the floor when he whispered "Great grandfather, it is done. I have need of you."

Everyone was watching as they saw him mutter something and then once again shrunk back in fear a minute later as the Grim Reaper appeared.

When Azrael arrived, he looked down at Tom and then smiled but only Harry, Dobby, and Megan could see it. He held out his arms and to everyone's horror, Harry embraced the vision of death.

"Well done my son. You accomplished it faster than I expected."

Harry laughed "The pieces were in place, no point in waiting around. I do have a life you know."

"Yes, I imagine you would feel that way." Azrael cast his gaze across the hall and chuckled at everyone's shudders. "So what are your plans for the old goat? I think the rest of the family is anxious to see him again."

Harry laughed "Tell them to be patient. I'm not done with him yet."

"Very well but when you grow tired of playing with him let me know."

"I will but I've only removed his teeth. I think his balls will be next."

Everyone heard a scary chuckle and Albus started moving backwards. He whispered "Yes, how come my granddaughter did not come greet me properly?"

Harry chuckled and whispered back "I don't know, why don't you invite her over?"

A booming voice sounded in the hall. "Megan Alexis Jones, I have come for you."

She caught the glint in both their eyes and schooled her face to look frightened. Everyone looked on in horror as Megan rose and made her way towards the Grim Reaper. Reggie and Kathleen were about to go nuts until they saw Megan wink at them.

As soon as she got to them, Azrael held out his hand and touched her shoulder and about a third of the room fainted. Those that were watching in horror saw the Reaper pull her in and give her a hug as she returned it. Azrael whispered "As soon as you are truly of my line, have your husband bring you to meet the rest of the family. After Lily and Dorea informed me of how much pain I had caused you by my actions with Harry, they told me I needed to reward you so I brought Mikey to the manor to live with the rest of the family. He is looking forward to seeing you again."

If Azrael had been a real person, you would have been able to hear his ribs crack from the strength of the hug she gave him. As tears were flowing from her eyes, she said "Thank you grandfather."

As soon as she released him, Azrael patted Dobby on the shoulder and said "Look after them for me."

"It would be my pleasure."

Azrael waved his hand and Tom's body floated in to the air. In the next moment, both vanished from sight.

Harry put his arm around her and she said "You wanna hurry this up. You're cutting into my snog time."

"Yes dear."

He took her hand and dragged her to the head table. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two pieces of parchment and handed them to Minerva. "Those are mine and my fiancé's resignations as students of Hogwarts."

"But you're a Founder's heir. You belong here."

"Yes, I should be here but I refuse to subject either of us to the substandard education taught here and you will not be able to use my attendance here to make yourselves look better. If that were not enough, we just find most of you distasteful and want nothing to do with the lot of you."

Daphne stepped up behind them and there were six more letters lying on top of theirs. Minerva looked up and saw that Daphne, Astoria, Tracy, Lilith, Luna, and Cho were standing behind Harry and Megan.

Harry turned and kissed Daphne's cheek. "It seems as if some of the Ancient and Noble Houses agree with me. Are you sure sister?"

Daphne replied "Yes, as you suggested, we did some research and found the curriculum to be rather lacking in substance. It seems to have been in decline ever since Dumbledore took over as Headmaster."

Harry chuckled "That sounds about right. He wouldn't want anyone to seem smarter or more powerful then he was. He would want to establish the myth surrounding him by casting 'lost' magic that was really only stuff he didn't want taught anymore. I think we will get a much better education no matter where we go."

Luna said "I vote for Area 51."

Harry smiled and said "I told you it didn't exist."

"Neither does the Stargate but yet you walked through one."

Minerva desperately said "But your parents would have wanted you to attend Hogwarts."

Harry laughed "No, my parents wanted me to get a real education and told me to get the hell out of here as fast as I could. In fact, they told me to get as far away from the manipulator and the oath breaker as possible. You know, when mum gets done with you, I doubt they'll be enough left of you to burn in the fiery pits of hell. By the way, I posted a letter to your daughter this morning explaining everything. I'm sure you will have fun explaining to her your reasoning behind what you did to the child of the girl she thought of as her little sister."

As they were walking out of the hall, Harry stopped and yelled "Hey Cedric, you coming or what?"

Everyone looked up and saw Cedric step out of the shadows with a man beside him. As soon as they met up, Harry held out his hand and said "Harry Peverell."

"Barry Timmons"

"Well did you get all that?"

"Yes Lord Peverell, I want to thank you for the opportunity."

"Thank Cedric; he thought it would be best to have someone on the outside who could tell the story before everyone in the hall forgot about it by morning."

"Would you clarify something for me?"

"Of course"

"Just to be sure I have it right, you're saying that you as the heir of two Founder's of this once illustrious school is rejecting his heritage and refusing to attend because of the poor standards of education that are taught here."

"No Sir, I don't reject my heritage but I do refuse to attend a third rate school with students who have no integrity. In my whole time here the headmaster has been more concerned with things like the Wizengamot, giving second chances to death eaters, and trying to control me rather than focusing on turning out exceptional wizards and witches. As long as he is headmaster and the current staff remains, Megan and I will not return and if things don't change, I doubt you will see any of our children attend here either."

When Harry got to Dobby, he held out his hand and took Dumbledore's replacement wand from him. With a smirk, he snapped it and threw it on the floor. "That should give everyone enough time to get away before he comes up with another."

The older family members were moving to join up with the kids and when they met, Reggie loudly asked "I thought your plan was to just deal with one dark lord tonight. Why'd you go for both?"

Harry laughed "Dobby suckered me into a bet and there was no way I was going to let him win this time."

"What was the bet?"

"Well, if I lost, I was going to have to polyjuice myself as Ron Weasley and have to go to the Headmaster's office naked. I'd be willing to bet it wouldn't be the first time that happened but I don't want to be the one to find out what they do behind closed doors."


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or make any money from doing this.

AN: I'm sorry for taking so long but my muse abandoned me for a bit. I think I may have enough for one short chapter after this one before marking this story as complete. I would like to thank all of you for your support and encouragement.

Chapter 14

Megan had her arm tightly around Harry as they made their way out of the castle and onto the path that would take them to the gates to exit the grounds of their former school. A quick glance revealed that their entire 'family' was following along closely behind them and she leaned into him as she felt the slight tremors running through him. She looked up at him questioningly and with a glance of his own behind them, he leaned over and whispered. "I'm okay, just coming down from the adrenalin rush from all that."

She chuckled and whispered back. "You almost bit off more than you could chew by taking on both of them."

He sighed "I know but Albus just begged for it. At least it was a war of words and not magic. Two would have been a little bit too much even with grandfather and Dobby there."

"You know it's not over don't you Harry? You know you're going to have to face Albus again?"

Before he could answer, the rest of their group was overtaken and passed by Amelia Bones and Augusta Longbottom as the group made their way to the gates.

"Lord Peverell. May we have a word?"

Harry stopped and turned where he politely said "Why certainly Madam Bones. How may I help you?"

Amelia's experience as an Auror came into play as she noticed his entourage stopped as well but spread out allowing them to approach Harry. She recognized the tactic as an unorganized gauntlet that while allowing them to approach Harry, any threatening moves toward him would result in her and Augusta fighting for their lives with very little hope of escaping unscathed. What made it even more impressive was that these weren't warriors but normal people who were showing their concern and love for the young man in question by trying to protect him.

She held up her hands in a non-threatening manner to show that she wasn't armed. "Lord Peverell, had we known of your circumstances, we would have moved heaven and earth to get you out of there."

"Ladies, I was being completely honest when I said that I really don't hold your houses responsible. I completely blame Dumbledore as he kidnapped me and then kept me so ignorant of the magical world that I had no idea that there were options available to me. After many discussions with my family, I no longer hold Neville and Susan completely to blame for this as I know they tried but were rebuffed by my paid minders at every turn."

Daphne stepped forward "In your heirs' defense, Granger and Weasley were very effective in keeping them as well as the rest of the school as far away from Harry as they could. Until this past year, they were constantly in his presence. I would even be willing to swear on my magic if it would help you to believe me."

Augusta asked "But what about everything you said about them tonight?"

Harry smirked "It was just my way of driving home my point. They need to change their ways if they expect the alliances to remain in place whenever the two of you relinquish control over your houses."

He noticed their uneasy expressions and added "Yes, as long as the two of you remain in control of your houses, the alliances will remain intact. I may be young and inexperienced and as my fiancé says, may have the tendency to jump into things without thinking them through but I am in no way stupid enough to just dismiss a valuable asset to my house."

Amelia smiled "Thank you for giving us a chance. However, I would like to know how you fooled the book. I knew your father and godfather well, so it has to be some kind of prank." Augusta Longbottom was nodding her head as Amelia said this.

Harry smiled "Well, it is and it isn't. The runes on the Veil forced the enchantments on all the record books to show that Harry James Potter died. However, the Veil is an ancient family artifact that protected my physical body during my time on the other side. I was taught family magic by my ancestors and the only thing I could really do when I came back was to take on a new name. Thank goodness I had several available to me."

"So you are saying that your name died but your body didn't?"

Harry laughed "Pretty much. Weird isn't it? Now I understand why all the old families hold onto those secrets like you do. I imagine I'd have been screwed otherwise because even though I already had the family rings, I had to take an inheritance test at Gringotts before they would believe me."

She stood there and looked at him dumbfounded for a minute. She finally said "Nothing is ever easy with you is it Lord Peverell? Augusta and I once again wanted to offer our apologies for our failure on your behalf."

Harry replied "Yes, well I think instead of spending your energy trying to make up for something you had no control over would be a waste of time for all of us and a better focus would be to work together so that this cannot happen to anyone else."

It was about this time that many of the students had come out of the castle and were approaching the group. When Reginald saw them, he said "Ladies, if my Lord Peverell agrees, perhaps it would be better to continue this conversation in a more private location?"

Harry gave him a quick nod and he continued "I would invite you to dine with us tomorrow afternoon at Jones Manor. It was our intention to have an informal meeting afterwards to discuss the events from this evening and perhaps a few more subjects now that one of my future son-in-law's problems has been solved."

After sharing a quick glance as Amelia, Augusta said "We'd be delighted to."

Harry gave them a quick smile and then turned to leave only to find the path blocked by the students who had come out of the castle. Harry's eyes narrowed and his wand quickly found his way into his hand as did Megan's, Daphne's, and Luna's.

Fred stepped forward and held up his hands to show they were empty. "No need for that Harry. We don't want any trouble with you guys, we just want to talk."

Harry coldly said "You had your chance to talk last year instead of turning me into an outcast so I don't see how we have anything left to talk about. You made your choice last Halloween and now I've made mine. I guess it's just my lucky day that since I've gotten rid of Voldemort once again, I'm Mr. Popularity again. Well no thanks."

Ginny softly said "We are so sorry Harry."

"Yes Ginevra, you are all sorry and pathetic. Even dumb old Harry can see this is just another attempt to use me for your own benefit."

Ginny sobbed out "It's not like that Harry. I swear on my life."

Harry coldly said "That is not a subject you really want to be bringing up right now Miss Weasley, you or your bushy haired accomplice."

Hermione said "Please Harry? I'm begging you to forgive me. I'm so sorry for everything. I just want to be your friend again."

Harry stood there staring at them for a minute before he shook his head and softly said. "How can you even look me in the eye and ask that?"

Hermione pleaded "I sold everything and gave it to the orphanage. I didn't need or want that stuff but I do need you in my life Harry."

"Granger, there's nothing you can say at this point that would ever convince me to forgive you or to make up for all the pain you've caused so don't even waste your breath."

"I will say that I am proud you have taken a step away from your dark master Dumbledore. However, it doesn't change a thing and only proves that you were doing it to try and manipulate me into being your friend again so that the cycle could start once again. I have friends that I love and trust and oddly that select group does not include you."

There were gasps from the students as they heard the part about Dumbledore. As tears streamed down Hermione's face, she sobbed out "I need you in my life Harry. Let me make things right between us. I'll do anything."

"I'm sorry but there will never be anything between us even again. You lied, spied, controlled, stole, and worst of all broke the bond we shared and all for what? A few extra books on magic? My libraries are full of ancient and rare books that you would have had full access to if you had actually returned the love I had for you. Hell, I would have given you access if you had even shown some kind of loyalty to me."

"You of all people should have known Hermione. I find it ironic that you sealed my fate as an outcast when it was me who saved you from the same fate and more in first year."

Megan softly said "Harry…don't."

Hermione looked at him wide eyed. "You said you would never…"

"Never what Miss Granger? Turn my back on you? Betray you?"

She replied "Never reveal what I told you in secret."

"But it was okay for you to spill my secrets to the headmaster? It was okay for you to be paid for it? It was okay for you to betray me because I was poor little orphaned Harry who didn't have anyone to help him and who you and your boyfriend the Weasel made sure I never would?"

"No Harry, I…"

Her eyes were focused on her feet as he said all this but he wasn't through. "While I was away, I did a lot of reading and learned quite a few things. Do any of you know what happens when you sever a deep emotional bond by betrayal?"

He looked around but no one responded "Aw, come on? No one?"

Amelia said "If the bond were a love bond like the legendary Potter bond is supposed to be, the betrayer is cursed by the magic of the bond itself to never know love again as their magic forces them to always seek out which they lost and to never allow another bond to form. In most cases, the betrayer remains alone for the rest of their days."

Harry said "Thank you Madam Bones." He turned to the other students. "While it is not exactly the same, every one of you broke the faith with me. That is something you will never get back."

Hermione sobbed out "But the Headmaster convinced us that he was doing it to protect you. We thought we were doing the best we could for you."

Luna said "Oh that explains it then. You had to be paid to give Harry your best since you were merely his paid bodyguards. Harry, I think you owe me some money."

"Why's that Luna?"

"Well you keep saying I'm your best friend and that Cedric is your brother, and Daphne is your sister. I would add something about Megan but she is already getting half of what you own so shouldn't we be compensated for the time we spend with you?"

"You're absolutely right Luna. How rude of me to overlook the fact that you needed to be paid to befriend me. Cho, Tracey, and Lilith….would you submit a bill so that I can make sure you are paid for your time with me?"

Cho said "Um…sure Harry. But I think we need a bonus for not running to the Headmaster and telling him what you were doing."

Harry nodded "That seems fair."

Cedric smirked "You'll pay me back enough when you take Megan off my hands."

Daphne wrapped her arms around Harry and kissed him on the cheek. "And I already have what I want most dear brother."

Megan added "As do I. The only thing that would make it better is when you start giving me children and I want enough children to continue all of our lines."

Harry looked at her and smiled. "I'd liked that too but can we just practice for a few years?"

They could hear Reggie muttering "Yes, yes…please."

Harry's arm went back around Megan as he tried to step forward but the crowd of students did not move. With a cocked eyebrow, he asked "Would you please move aside so that we can go home?"

The group of students stood there looking at him until Harry pulled Megan closer to him and disappeared right before their eyes.

Daphne and the others watched as the crowd broke up and the dejected students started making their way back inside. As Granger and the other Gryffindors passed by, Daphne said "I guess it's that time then."

Fred stopped and looked at her for a minute before asking "What's that?"

With a smirk, she said "The time when you see that you never know what you've got until you've utterly screwed yourself by throwing it away."

Fred looked at her and gave her a small nod and then turned as Cedric started speaking. "You know love, maybe you should have stayed this year. Quidditch ought to be interesting now that the Gryffs don't have Harry to carry them."

Cho chuckled and replied "Nah, Harry was the only real competition here and without him, it won't be fun anymore. Not that it matters anymore but there won't be a Quidditch recruiter found within fifty miles of Hogwarts after what they did. My cousin said that were only looking for players who _actually_ showed loyalty and would back up their teammates."

Cedric laughed "Maybe you're right sweetheart."

She got a calculating look in her eye and said "However, it may have been fun to watch the Gryffs fall apart under Johnson this year."

Harry's group of friends chuckled as they watched his former teammates wince at what she had said. Cedric even threw in "Hey Johnson, maybe you should add the Weasel as Keeper. He'd be a perfect fit for your team since he already displays those qualities your house admires so much."

The adults stepped forward and Amos said "You've made your point. Let's go home."

**LC**

Megan and Harry had no sooner landed when she dragged him up the stairs and into her room where he finally allowed his exhaustion to show. Megan pulled off his cloak and then started unbuttoning his shirt.

Harry shyly said "As much as I'm enjoying this, I don't really have the energy for something like that right now."

She blushed. "Hush you, I'm not about to let you go back to the suite while I worry about you all night. Besides, you're not getting any of that until after you marry me."

Harry just smiled as she went about undressing him and putting him to bed. Once she had him under the covers, she made her way to her bathroom where she took a quick shower before changing into her sleepwear that consisted of her knickers and a t-shirt she had stolen from Harry. Her exit back into the room was under the raised eyebrow of her mother.

"May I ask what you are doing?"

"Harry's upset and exhausted and I didn't want to be up all night worrying about him so I brought him here."

"You may be engaged but you are still my sixteen year old daughter." She said sternly.

Megan turned to her mother and said "Mum, nothing will happen until my wedding night and only then if we feel we are ready for it. He's been through a lot tonight and I know him well enough to know that he will have nightmares. I want to be there for him and keep him comforted so that he gets a full nights rest."

Justine smiled "Just not too much comforting."

Megan nodded. "Go on, we will see you in the morning."

**LC**

It was late morning before Harry and Megan came out of her room and the only reason they did at that point was due to the constant knocking that had been going on since early morning. When Megan finally opened the door, Reggie was standing there and only said "Our guests will be here in about two hours so you might want to start getting ready."

She nodded in reply but instead of the rebuke she expected, Reggie asked "How's Harry?"

"Rough night but I managed to keep him asleep."

From behind her she heard a sleepy voice say "Yes you did. Thank you for that."

She grinned as a shirtless Harry approached the door. "Sir, thank you for what you and Kathleen allowed last night. I…I wouldn't betray your trust Sir…ever!"

Reggie smiled at him. "We know son. Last night was a special case so we allowed it but don't think it'll happen very often."

"It won't Sir. I promise."

"You two get cleaned up and ready for the day. Dobby and Winky have already arrived and brought some fresh clothes for you and they have been laid out in the guest room so that you can get ready without _any_ distraction."

Megan smirked "But Daddy, I wanted to wash Harry's back."

Reggie choked back a response as she began to giggle at him. Harry paled and ran out of the room while saying. "I'll just be going now."

**LC**

After an enjoyable lunch, the whole group, including the younger generation, gathered in the sitting room to hold their conversation. As they sat around and spoke of various topics, Amelia and Augusta were surprised at the family dynamic involved as both young and old were being listened too with equal amounts of respect and attention. Before the serious topics were started, the floo flared and the Delacour family stepped out of the fireplace only to see a blond missile fly off and tackle Harry. To everyone's surprise, Amelia rose and said "Jean, how good it is to see you again."

"Likewise Amelia. I see my nephew has brought you in to the great conspiracy."

She caught his eye and said "Nephew? Conspiracy?"

Jean chuckled. "Calm down Ami. It's nothing so grandiose. Our group has grown close enough that they are almost siblings so since they look upon each other in that respect, we look upon them as extended members of our own families. As far as the conspiracy comment, just sit and listen with an open mind."

Augusta said "I can see the closeness the younger ones share. I just wish our heirs had the foresight to join in."

Harry said "Madam Longbottom…"

Augusta cut him off. "I would appreciate it if you would call me Gran. It's what should have been anyway."

"Alright then, Gran. As I said last night, I really don't hold your houses responsible for my lot in life. All of it can be laid at the feet of Albus. (He looked up and saw Daphne squirming.) However, it seems Daph has something to say so I'll defer to her."

"Madam Longbottom…."

"You claim to be Harry's sister?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Then I expect all of you to call me Gran. I have been far too long kept from his life and I intend, if he will allow it, to be a part of it from this point on."

"Of course Gran….you can't really blame Neville and Susan completely. Weasley and Granger did their best to keep everyone away these last few years. The only thing I can really say they did wrong was they gave up and didn't confide their problems to you."

Augusta looked down. "He did and I just admonished him as not being the man he was raised to be and never looked into it further. For that I apologize. I'm sorry to say that I believed Albus when he said Harry was fine even though he would not allow me to see it for myself. When I say it that way, I now find myself ashamed of how I treated Neville when I had done the same thing."

Harry stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay Gran. He had everyone fooled for a long time. I wouldn't have believed it myself if he hadn't overplayed his hand last year. It took isolation from the rest of the school along with Dobby and then a letter from my Mum to open my eyes."

Amelia said "I will also have to claim some responsibility with Susan. I raised her and she seems to have inherited some of my less desirable traits."

Amos laughed "Which one Ami, the stubborn quality or the independent streak."

Amelia smiled "Both actually. I have to admit that you have my curiosity piqued by the conspiracy comment but no matter what my house owes House Potter, I will not betray my ethics and morals." Augusta nodded along with her.

Harry asked "If I were to ask you to break the law for our alliances to remain in place, you would say no? Wouldn't that be a death sentence for your houses?"

"Yes Lord Peverell to both."

He nodded "Then it's a good thing I'd never ask you to do something like that. It seems your characters are as good as my advisors have informed me."

Amelia and Augusta shared a glance.

Jonathan said "My Ladies, it is our hope that you will join with us in our quest and you will see for yourself that even though Harry technically outranks us, there is no clear leader in our group. Harry may have been the catalyst that brought us all together but we all have the same goals."

"And what would those goals be?"

Lord Moon replied "We want a better world for our children and grandchildren. Is this not the hope of all progressive people no matter what their political leanings are?"

Augusta asked "What would we have to do?"

Harry said "Support us in our efforts to remove the bigotry and hate in our society. I think I have done the hard part by eliminating the two men who were leading the worst of it."

Amelia replied "Albus is hardly out of the way."

Harry smirked at her and said "Albus Dumbledore is no longer a threat to our plans. For too long, he stood back and allowed people to be judged by the purity of their blood while he used double speak to placate the muggle born. For too long, he was allowed to move unchecked and did quite a bit of damage. We want the law to be equal for everyone no matter who you are."

Augusta and Amelia shared another look. "That is something we would like to see as well."

Harry said "Wonderful. Now see, I'm not as crazy as everyone thinks I am. To make it even easier, I'm going to leave the political matters in the most capable hands of my advisors, of which I now include you. They have already agreed to accept my proxies so my plan is to take control of my seats and confirm them as such at the next Wizengamot meeting."

Amelia asked "But shouldn't you be involved in the voting process?"

"I will be but not as the face in front of the crowd. I'm perfectly content to sit back and allow the more experienced Lords take the lead on this. I am very much aware that I would be a sitting duck in that setting and will gladly learn from those I trust. We, that is, my generation, have decided that we will be perfectly content to sit back and learn at the knees of our elders. What makes it even better is that they are willing to listen to our opinions and as you have seen today, it is not so much the Lord of the house who speaks but the entire family. We hope to one day ascend to our seats as a group when our elders decide they have had enough. Speaking only for myself, I hope that day is many years away."

Amelia chuckled "It seems you have it all planned out."

Harry laughed out. "No, I just do what the beautiful and smart girls tell me to do. The ladies think this would be for the best and Cedric and I think we would be much happier enjoying life and playing Quidditch until they tell us we can't anymore."

Augusta gave him a look and then said "So much like James and Frank. However, your actions betray your words."

"How so?"

"You are not merely sitting back and taking things easy."

"How could I expect the world to change if I didn't do my part?"

"But you are only fifteen. I would never expect Neville to bear such a burden at this point."

"Neville is also not the head of five houses either. As far as that goes, how could I expect anyone else to do the task that was left in my lap?"

Amelia said "But you are only fifteen. It should not have been up to you."

"Madam Bones, was there anyone else stepping up to do what needed to be done? Was there anyone who was crazy enough to do it? You've got to realize that until tonight, none one would have stood against Tom or Albus."

Reggie said "He does have a point."

"I know but it doesn't mean I have to like it or accept it. I'm the head of the DMLE as well as one of the people who were tasked with taking care of him but yet here he is, doing my job for me and taking care of us in turn. And by the way Lord Peverell, I would prefer it if you called me Aunt Amelia."

Harry smiled and said "As long as you and Gran drop the Lord crap. We are family here."

Amelia smiled and said "Agreed. I know that it is a sign of respect but in my line of work, the term Madam takes on a whole new meaning."

Harry nodded but his mind was on something she had said a minute ago so he stood and started pacing. Those familiar with him knew that what he was thinking about how to say something that was going to unsettle the whole room. As he started and stopped several times, Megan finally stood and wrapped her arms around him. "We are family here. Just say what is on your mind."

He quietly said "I don't want to hurt anyone with what I need to say."

She reached up and placed both hands on his face and stared him straight in the eye. She pulled him in and quickly kissed him on the lips before saying "We are not going anywhere Harry."

He leaned forward and touched his forehead to hers before asking the room "Do you fear death?"

When nobody answered, he continued. "I have no fear of death whatsoever. I have been to the other side and quite frankly, I would still be there if it wasn't for this beautiful lady in front of me. I would have been perfectly content staying with my family except I knew there was a part of me missing."

Daphne asked "So you came back for Megan?"

Harry gave a small grin. "She was the main reason but there are a few others I would have missed. But you've got to realize that my life before Hogwarts…no, that's wrong. My life before you guys came into it wasn't worth much and if it wasn't for you guys, I would have remained there."

Everyone sat quietly in the room for a few minutes. It was finally Augusta who somberly asked "If you have been to the other side, would you be willing to take Frank and Alice?"

The whole room turned and looked at her in disbelief. She quickly said "What? You can't believe that they have any quality of life? From the way Harry describes it, they would at least be able to be themselves again."

To everyone's shock, Harry said "I could arrange it but I think you and Neville need to sit down and speak about it first. I don't want to be the one responsible for the death of my Godmother after already losing so many of the people assigned to take care of me."

Augusta asked "What do you mean?"

"My mother was a meticulous planner. She had me covered in every way possible but failed to account for Albus Dumbledore. He personally killed my grandparents and then set up my parents to die. Just so that he could get control of House Potter, he let Sirius rot in Azkaban, Frank and Alice was all but eliminated, Edgar and Joanna were killed, and Minerva was outright turned against me. If I had my guess, I would say that he had a hand in all of those cases just to gain control over my house."

Augusta gasped "But that would mean…"

Harry cut her off "Albus Dumbledore is a dark lord far more dangerous that Voldemort ever thought about being. While Morty used brute force, Albus used manipulation and platitudes to elevate himself into a revered state that no one would challenge."

Jonathan said "But he defeated Grindelwald."

Harry snorted "Only because Gellert was a threat to his power and his reputation. They were lovers after all."

The conversation continued most of the afternoon as plans were being made for the next session of the Wizengamot. The other discussion to be held during that afternoon dealt with the kids' education plans. After laying all the options out on the table, Harry told them it was entirely up to them what they decided to do. By the end of the discussion, Astoria, Lilith, and Tracey had decided to continue with a conventional education at the Salem Institute. The others were going to use the accelerated program in order to take their OWLS by Christmas and hopefully achieve their NEWTS within a year. By the time everyone departed, they felt they had a good solid plan in place as long as Harry could pull off his end of the plan.

**LC**

After a tearful goodbye to the three heading off to Salem, the remaining kids set into their lessons. They were initially worried that Luna would hold the group back but that was before learning that she was already working a year ahead in her classes. Since Harry was more than prepared from his time behind the veil, he joined with Cedric and Cho to act as tutors and teachers. With the occasional help of the adults, they all felt their goal would be obtainable.

**LC**

The only break they saw during the months leading up to Christmas was when Harry took control of his seats in the Wizengamot. That session saw another mauling heaped upon Albus Dumbledore who had somehow managed to not lose his positions of power.

On September 21st, the Wizengamot was holding its monthly session and the moment of truth was upon Harry as today would be the day that he took control of his houses and seats in the legislative body. As Albus was overseeing the proceedings, a scowl formed on his face as most of the children who had refused to attend Hogwarts were sitting with their parents. He found it even more unusual that the Ladies of the house were in attendance as well.

As the time to convene approached, Albus made note that everyone was in their seats and gaveled in the opening of the meeting. There were several small matters of old business to discuss but then they moved on to New Business. As soon as the floor was opened to the new business, the doors swung open and Harry walked proudly into the chambers in a set of expensive silk robes with the Peverell crest boldly displayed for all to see. His very presence commanded attention as he stood in the center of the chamber and all who looked upon him knew there was a new lord amongst them.

Albus called down "Mr. Potter, may I ask why you felt it necessary to disturb these proceedings?"

Harry maintained his control even though he wanted to jump up on the bench and strangle Dumbledore with his own beard. In a commanding voice, Harry said "You are fully aware that I no longer go by that name. If you followed decorum Chief Warlock, as a meeting of this type requires, you would address me as Lord Harrison James Peverell. I would find Lord Peverell acceptable as well. As for why I am here, I have come to claim my family seats."

"I'm sorry _Lord_ Peverell but even though you are emancipated, your age excludes you from joining this body. No, I think it would be best if you just left things as they are and returned in about three years."

"You'd like that wouldn't you Chief Warlock so that you can continue to control that which belongs to me. No, I think it best that I take control of my houses today."

"And I refuse to relinquish the voting rights of House Potter until such a time as I feel you are mature enough to handle it."

"May I ask what gives you the right to deny me what is mine by birth, blood, and magic?"

"My rights as Chief Warlock."

Harry watched as a wave of uneasiness spread around the chamber. "So you're saying that if any one of the Lords or Ladies behaved in a fashion you did not agree with, it is within your rights to take control of their houses?"

"I would never do such a thing!"

"But yet you are doing it to me?"

"I can assure you that I have always had your best interests at heart and this is not the place to be discussing such matters."

"I disagree and find it the perfect place since I wouldn't be caught dead alone in a room with you. Who knows what I would _remember_ when we were through. Besides, I think these good people need to see for themselves the kind of man you really are."

"I am the Chief Warlock of this body and I'm going to have to rule that you are not mature enough to handle the responsibility of these meetings as your actions here today prove."

Harry smirked "Oh, I apologize if I was unclear. I never said I wanted to sit the seats myself. I just want control so that I can assign my own proxies. Lords and Ladies who I feel would better represent my interests which obviously would not include you."

"That changes nothing."

"Well it's a good thing that you cannot legally do that then. I've read the laws Dumbledore. I may be young but I am not stupid. I am also aware of the loophole in the law that states as long as I have a sponsor, you cannot deny me my rights."

Harry noticed several nods around the room and Fudge rose before the pissing contest could continue and asked "Lord Peverell, may I ask who you have sponsoring you?"

Harry turned to the boxes and said "My Lords?"

One by one, Lords Jones, Diggory, Moon, Chang, and Davis stood.

Albus looked at them for a minute as he thought over the laws and then he smiled. "I'm sorry Mr. Peverell but none of these Lords are ranked high enough to be able to sponsor a Most Ancient and Most Noble House. Petition denied."

Harry coughed once and then Lord Greengrass stood. "As the Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Greengrass as well as the petitioner's claiming of my eldest daughter as his sister, House Greengrass has the standing to sponsor Lord Peverell in the matter of Potter and Black. If that is still not enough, then Lord Delacour of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Delacour of France has pledged his support as well."

Albus said "I'm sorry but the rules are clear in this matter."

Harry smirked and then looked over at Madams Bones and Longbottom. As they stood, Augusta barked out "This is a non issue. House Bones and Longbottom were entrusted with the care of Lord Peverell in the late Lord and Lady Potter's will. By right of succession clearly designated in the will, when Lord Black failed to do his duty, Lord Peverell should have been placed into the care of House Longbottom who was to assume the voting rights until he came of age. Sadly, the wishes of the Lord and Lady Potter were ignored and the young man we were entrusted with disappeared. Do you have any idea how this may have happened Chief Warlock?"

Before Albus could say anything, Amelia was saying. "Lord Black's will clearly named Lord Peverell as his heir. House Bones was to assume the voting rights until he came of age. This will was ignored as well."

Albus started trying to say something else but was cut off once again. Harry loudly said "There is another law that has precedence in this matter. The law I'm referring to clearly states that there is one ranking of house that cannot be denied no matter what age the petitioner is. Since the Chief Warlock seems to be such an expert on the law and has himself used this law to push himself above everyone else, perhaps he would be willing to share the title of these houses."

All eyes looked at him and he sagged "The only houses that fall under that law are the Most Ancient and Revered Houses."

"And what are the names of these houses?"

"Emrys, Peverell, Le Fey, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff."

Harry smiled evilly. "I guess then these arguments are all moot points as I am the head of three Most Ancient and Revered houses since I am also Lord Gryffindor and Lord Slytherin. As far as the Houses of Potter and Black are concerned, the seats are all that remains as I as the head of their families have absorbed them into my house and declared the houses extinct until such a time as I decide to split the titles between my heirs."

Albus said "But you can't do that. You'll destabilize the balance we have here."

Harry laughed "There is no balance here as the neutrals have been the only ones to give balance to this body to limit the excesses of the light and dark factions."

Someone stood and said "One house should not be able to wield that much control."

Harry genuinely smiled "I happen to agree with you Lord Smith. That is why my seats will be distributed amongst five sitting Lords of my choice."

Albus asked "And how will they be distributed?"

"I have asked Lord Jones to proxy Peverell House, Lord Greengrass to proxy Slytherin, Lord Diggory to proxy Gryffindor, Lord Davis to proxy Potter, and Lord Moon to proxy Black. In case they are incapable of attending a session, Madams Bones and Longbottom will automatically serve in their stead. If any of these are unable to perform their duties, Lord Chang has graciously offered to step in and assist."

Albus stood and said "I'm sorry but you're assigning too much power to a faction that is not trustworthy. I cannot allow it."

Harry waved his hand at Albus and said "That is for me to determine. I have the utmost confidence in their ability to be fair and reasonable and work for the betterment of our society while keeping me informed of the issues facing it. These men and women have done nothing but be truthful and honest with me and support me when the rest of the world turned against me. I have no use for those who wish to use their positions to further their own agenda, status, and wealth."

Cornelius stood and said "Since it is obvious that the Chief Warlock cannot be biased in this issue, I call the matter to a vote. Since the seats of Potter and Black are being contested, I declare them dormant for this vote however, (He said with a smirk.) the three revered houses cannot be denied their rights and in this case, I declare the proxies may stand as stated."

The vote was no contest and Harry had won the day as Albus sat and stewed. Harry loudly said "I thank you for your indulgence this day and offer you my thanks. I will take my leave as I would not want to make my proxies think I am constantly looking over their shoulders."

With a few chuckles as a response, Harry turned and left the chambers and returned to Jones Manor. As the rest started trickling in elated at their victory, Harry sat and kept a smirk on his face the whole night. Megan finally asked "I knew you would be pleased with the results of today but that smirk should have faded by now. What did you do?"

"Eliminated Albus Dumbledore as one of our problems."

Jonathan overheard and said "He still has teeth Harry. He is not out of the game yet as he tried to prove once you left."

Harry's only answer was to continue with the smirk.

**LC**

The entire time since Voldemort had been taken to the other side, he found himself standing in a very long line. As the time passed, he felt that the line never moved and he was beginning to feel insulted that someone of his status was made to wait like a commoner. He was about to show his displeasure when a loud voice said "Thomas Marvolo Riddle, come forward to be judged."

As he stepped forward, he said "It is about time you faced me. As far as the name, I am Lord Voldemort and you will show me the respect I deserve and address me as such."

Azrael stepped up behind him and said "Shut up Morty. You were never a Lord. In fact, I find you to be as insignificant as that pompous ass Dumbledore."

A low chuckle could be heard as the Creator watched the interplay between the two. Tom got a bad feeling about the whole thing and did what he always did when he was outnumbered and scared. His finger went to his dark mark and summoned his followers.

The Creator laughed when he saw this as he had intentionally left the link open for just such an event. As the Death Eaters felt their master's summons, they immediately apparated away in a puff of black smoke and followed the trail to their master.

The Death Eaters knew something was wrong when their apparation lasted longer that normal and felt it was somehow not as direct as normal. As they caught glimpses of the word around them, they noticed the familiar scenes of the Ministry of Magic as they traveled into the depths of the building. They all felt fear as they were being guided through the Department of Mysteries and into a single chamber that most had only heard about. They tried to stop the apparation by any means they could but the emergency nature of the summons was one that could not be stopped. For most, they realized their master had led them to their deaths as they flew through the Veil and landed beside their master.

As their wands came out, Azrael waved his hand and they all turned to ash and fluttered to the ground. "Ah, good, you're all here. This will save my grandson a lot of time in tracking you down."

Tom and the Death Eaters were looking around in fear as they realized they were powerless to do anything. A loud voice finally chuckled and said "Good, since you are all here, it is going to save me a lot of time in the future. I have foreseen this day and have thought long and hard about what to do with you. I find it strange that even Lucifer doesn't want you in his realm."

Tom replied "He's just afraid that I will take over."

The voice chuckled "Hardly, you are no threat; he has dealt with beings far worse than you."

"What beings could be more fearsome than Lord Voldemort?"

"Mimes come to mind but it doesn't help your case that you were bested by a boy in nappies and then again when he was fifteen years old."

"He was lucky both times and attacked when I wasn't ready."

"Well anyway, for your sins and crimes against your fellow inhabitants of the Earth, I have decided that your prejudice should play a factor in your punishment. Therefore, all of you will spend the next thousand years as house elves bound to muggle born witches and wizards. At the end of the thousand years, we will reevaluate your sentence based on how well you performed your duties."

There was a chorus of 'NOOOO's as the Death Eaters transformed into those that they had treated so badly and considered insignificant. Before they could be taken away, the Creator added "And you will have about a quarter of their power so that you cannot use it to harm your new masters."

**LC**

Harry decided to up his game and a few days after the Wizengamot session, he sent a letter to the Daily Prophet and asked that it be published. As the editor read the letter, his eyes grew wide as the ramifications of the information in the letter hit him. His immediate reaction was to call in his entire staff and after they had all read copies, he said "I want every one of these facts substantiated and every bit of dirt dragged out for the next issue."

In one of the chairs, Rita Skeeter cackled, pulled out a thick file, and let it fall on the table with a loud thump. "I've been researching Albus for years and digging up all the dirty little secrets I could find. I will allow the use of my notes as long as you don't tell all the secrets and the Prophet publishes the book I want to write."

The editor looked at her with a gleam in his eye and said "DONE! Everyone, take your assignments from Rita and by all means, I want the Goblins interviewed for real this time."

Two days later, the Daily Prophet came out with the bold headline _Dark Lord Dumbledore_ and the entire issue was dedicated to the ruination of the man. On the front page was the letter written by Harry.

_My Fellow Britons,_

_As I grew up alone, beaten, starved, and made to serve my 'family' as a slave, there were two questions that constantly ran through my mind. Well actually there was more than two but these two are the ones I remember most. 'Why me?' and 'Why didn't anyone love me?"._

_This was my life for ten years before I was rescued and brought back to your world. The title bestowed upon me by the magical world as the Boy-Who-Lived was a lie. Harry James Potter never lived, he only survived._

_I use the term rescued loosely because even that was staged to keep me under control. The one who came to rescue me was a very kind man but he had one flaw, he believed that Albus Dumbledore truly wanted to do the best by me. Oh how wrong he was when it was he who acted as my jailer by taking me to my prison as a baby and then escorting me away from there and into another one. I don't want to mention this man's name because I truly do care a great deal for him but it is my hope that once he reads this letter, he will understand his part in it._

_But enough about that, my entrance into Hogwarts is where the story truly begins. As a beaten and broken young boy, I was thrust into a situation that I was left woefully unprepared for and was set up so that I would have friends that were chosen for me in advance, namely the Weasley family who were preachers of wonderfulness that was the great Albus Dumbledore. Naturally as I was scared and alone, I latched on to the first people to show me kindness which brought under a whole new brand of control and emotional blackmail._

_Those of you who were at school with me know that I was involved in many adventures in my early years even if you don't know the whole truth but what I would like for you to take away from this is that each and every life threatening situation I was involved in was staged and created by Albus Dumbledore. In all honesty, I should have died many times during my first four years at Hogwarts but my friends and I always managed somehow to survive._

_Another manipulation that was thrust upon me was my friends. The two people I thought I was closest too were merely spies that the Headmaster paid to keep track of me and to keep any unwanted influence away from me so that I would never learn my heritage. As the years passed by, I grew closer to my female best friend and a love bond began to form, well it did on my end as I now don't think she was capable of such an emotion. As many of you are aware, the Potter men choose their mates early and my heart had already chosen mine only I didn't know she was only close to me so that she could advance herself in our world be it through knowledge or because she knew that the name Potter would carry her far in life even if I didn't know it myself._

_It was last year, my fourth when everything began to unravel for the puppet master. In a move to test me once again with the Tri Wizard Tournament, he made a mistake. The tournament was for 'of age' wizards and he unknowingly gave me my independence after completely isolating me from anyone and everyone or so he thought._

_I made some new friends who were not under the Headmaster's control and they began to educate me in the ways of the magical world. The isolation also allowed me to move freely for the first time in my life so I took full advantage of it and started taking back control of what was mine by right of blood. _

_The results of all this was that the manipulations of my life by Albus Dumbledore were merely cover ups for actions he had taken in the past as he did his best to take my heritage for himself. I don't know much about what happened before 1981 but here is what I know to be truth since that time._

_Albus Dumbledore set an elaborate plan in motion to gain control over House Potter. He used fear and a prophecy to use the age old tactic of divide and conquer. He used his friendship with the Potters to steal warding knowledge from their library which he used to his advantage when my parents went into hiding. Some of the 'special' wards he added would even mask the ancient magic that notified an heir when the head of house passed on._

_The fabled wand Dumbledore took when he defeated Grindelwald was a ruse. The wand he used up until I took it from him belonged to my family and was held by my grandfather, Charlus Potter, at the time. I am told that he and my grandmother Dorea were wonderful people but he made sure I would never know that. Albus Dumbledore murdered my grandparents in their own home and left them there to rot for an entire summer while he searched for the secrets of the Potter family in our ancestral home. When he grew frustrated that he could not unlock the secrets contained in the manor, he cast fiendfyre and destroyed the entire manor and then blamed it on Voldemort and his Death Eaters._

_In his last breathing act, Charlus banished the special wand to the Potter family vault which created another problem for Dumbledore. You see he needed control over House Potter and since my parents were still alive, he set them up to die and you know how that turned out._

_He turned my survival to his advantage by sealing my parents' will and illegally taking guardianship of me before my parents' bodies had even grown cold. Without the will, his only true threats to controlling me were my Godfather, Sirius Black and my Godmother, Alice Longbottom. I don't think I need to go into detail with the fates of these two people. I could go into detail about the alliances between House Potter and Houses Bones and Longbottom but I can assure you that I do not hold them responsible for my lot in life in any form._

_With control over me, he began plundering my family vaults and in total stole over fifty million galleons._

_Now, I would like to ask you if that is the 'Light' Lord you would like to continue keeping on his pedestal and worshipping? I'm very happy to say that with an example such as that, I'm proud to call myself 'grey' or neutral. Many of you remember what Voldemort, oh quit flinching, he is gone for good this time, thank you very much along with his 'imperioused' Death Eaters. Anyway, in my eyes, Albus Dumbledore has equally done as much as Voldemort has done to damage our world. I call on the citizens of our world to help me move our society forward where old prejudices die and we try to create a society that we can be proud of and all children can live in peace._

_Last but not least, I'm going to list the charges that I will personally be filing against Albus Dumbledore. I can assure you I have proof to back up each and every accusation and this is just the list I know of concerning me. There's no telling how many others could step forward with their stories._

_Line theft (Houses Potter, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Peverell)_

_Attempted Line Theft (House Black)_

_Murder (Charlus & Dorea Potter)_

_Conspiracy to Commit Murder (James & Lily Potter)_

_Conspiracy to Commit Murder (Frank & Alice Longbottom)_

_Conspiracy to Commit Murder (Harry James Potter- multiple counts)_

_Unlawful Imprisonment (Sirius Black)_

_Conspiracy to Commit Murder (Sirius Black)_

_Child Abandonment (Harry Potter)_

_Child Abuse (Harry Potter)_

_Child Endangerment (Harry Potter & every student at Hogwarts- multiple counts)_

_Theft (Potter Vaults)_

_Illegal Blocking of a Magical Core (Harry Potter)_

_Obviously there's more but I will stop there as I think I've made my point. Along with these charges, I will also be filing against the entire staff at Hogwarts as accessories to these crimes and will have quite a few other names and families to add in at a later date. For those of you who want to scoff and say I am going dark, I have this to say, I am merely claiming what is granted me under the rule of law and in my defense, if all of that had happened to you and your family, wouldn't you be a little upset about it? _

_Thank You,_

_Harrison James Peverell_

**LC**

The morning the article came out, Albus made his way leisurely into the Great Hall for breakfast. He was oblivious to the glares that were being cast his way by the students or the scared faces of his staff as they read the paper.

When he sat down and opened his paper, the headline grabbed his attention and he began to read. His anger flared as he flipped through the pages to see every dirty little secret he had being exposed to the world. He then went back to the front page to read the letter Harry had written as he felt a sharp pain in his head and slumped over into his porridge. It took fifteen minutes before a healer could arrive after being summoned from St. Mungos.

When Billy Holston arrived in the Great Hall, he noticed the professors gathered around the Headmaster as he was slumped over the table. He approached and began waving his wand a few times before he said "There's nothing I can do for him, he's already dead. Looks like an aneurism."

He turned to walk back out of the hall when Minerva asked "What about the body?"

"I only treat them; the body is your problem. Not that it matters but I wouldn't have touched that filth anyway." He walked out past a stunned audience.

In Jones Manor, there was a joyful meeting going on with everyone on a high from the last week as well as the release of the letter. Daphne noticed that Harry had maintained a smirk the whole morning and when she asked about it, all he would say was "I wonder what tomorrow's paper will bring."

He got up and held out his hand to Megan and they went outside for a walk before beginning their studies for the day.

**LC**

Just as Harry predicted, the next morning's headlines shocked the entire country. As soon as he read the headlines "Dumbledore Dead", Harry smiled and went outside. It wasn't long before the rest of the kids walked out to see him standing there talking to the Grim Reaper. As the others shuddered, Megan took off at a quick pace only to hear the end of the conversation.

"Lily asks that you come soon so you won't miss out on the fun."

Harry replied "I'll be there soon, let the others have their fun since they have first claim."

Azrael chuckled "Well there may not be much left. Lily already cut off his bits and shoved them in his mouth. When the others protested, she put them back only to have Padfoot go in for the kill. I imagine they'll finally get around to completely destroying them in a week or two before moving on to something else."

Megan sauntered up and said "Going somewhere love?"

Harry sputtered "Um, yeah…Grandfather was just asking me to come and get in a few shots."

She raised her eyebrows and looked at Azrael. "You have Dumbledore?"

"Of course."

With a gleam in her eye, she turned to Harry and said "We need to move the wedding up. I want my shot too."

Harry laughed and said "Don't worry love; he won't be going anywhere soon."


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or make any money from this.

AN: For those of you who have been supportive of me and my story, I want to say thank you. For those others, I would merely like to thank you for taking the time to review. One last mention and I'll shut up. To Old Crow, I thank you for your words of support recently and in the past and I hope that I haven't read anything in to one of your statements. I along with many others find you to be an excellent storyteller and hope to see your work again soon. I know that there are those who take a lot of the fun out of doing this but then I remember the ones who enjoy what I write, such that it is, and I do it for me and for them.

Judging from one review, there were concerns over how Harry and the others spoke. As Harry is interacting with adults from old families, he is speaking as formally as he can so as not to offend or alienate the people who are helping him. He is now moving in the adult world and has to be seen as an adult if he expects to be treated as one. I did tone it down a little in this chapter as the characters are all pretty familiar with each other by this point. This chapter wraps it up and may jump around a little bit so for that I apologize.

Chapter 15

The months started flying by as Megan, Daphne, and Luna started preparing for their OWLS. With Harry, Cedric and Cho beside them the whole way, they quickly mastered their lessons and sat the exams in the first week of December. The wedding was fast approaching but Megan was not the least bit stressed about it as Kathleen and Winky both told her they had everything well in hand and to just enjoy her last days of freedom. The only thing Megan was even concerned about was the secret Harry was keeping about the location of their honeymoon.

**LC**

Christmas day saw the entire family once again together with the exception of Amelia and Augusta. They decided that things were still too raw between their heirs and the rest of the kids to even attempt bringing them together on such a special holiday. As was agreed to by everyone, no lavish gifts were given as they thought the holiday would be better spent celebrating what they had found with each other only this time, the Greengrass family was hosting the group at their manor. They used the excuse that the Jones manor was being prepared for a wedding and that Kathleen didn't need the added stress of hosting holidays as well but she just sat there with a smile on her face. Let everyone think what they will but Winky and Dobby had prepared everything for their brother and sister.

**LC**

The next day would find the whole family gathering at Jones Manor for Harry and Megan's wedding. The invitations that had gone out were only sent to members of the 'family' which included Amelia and Augusta, left instructions to dress casually and warm. Once everyone had gathered in the family room, they were led out onto the snow covered grounds by Dobby and deep into the forest where they came across the wedding present that Dobby and Winky had created for the occasion.

The guests were led into a clearing in the forest where the sun was shining brightly through the gap in the trees and down upon the most beautiful chapel they had ever seen. The chapel looked to be made of crystal but that was quickly proven false as it was completely made of ice. As they entered, they were escorted to comfortable seating by the family elves that then did as requested and sat with their families. As they sat there, they looked around at their surroundings and could only marvel at the splendor of the chapel as the sun shone brightly through the ice and gave the whole place a sparkling effect.

Their attention was drawn to another pop as Harry and Dobby appeared. Both were in black pants with long dragon hide boots topped off with loose white tunics. The belts surrounding their waists were sporting the Peverell family crest as the buckle.

Another pop was heard and then Winky made her way down the aisle in a simple white dress. As soon as she took her place and turned to the door, they opened and there stood Megan in a simple white dress like Winky's as she held her father's arm. After a bright smile from Harry, Reggie led Megan down the aisle. Some even found it odd that no music was playing but in a strange way, it just brought more focus to the whole thing.

As they reached the altar, Harry reached out his hand to her and she took it after giving her father a kiss. They stood there looking at each other for a minute before pulling Dobby and Winky into a four way hug.

Even though they spoke softly, every word could be heard. Megan said "It's so beautiful. Thank you so much."

Winky smiled "Nothing but the best for our family."

Harry said "I love you guys. I don't know what we would do without you."

Dobby smiled up at him. "I know how hurt you were because you couldn't give Megan the wedding you felt she deserved."

Megan turned to Harry and said "We talked about that. I told you that I didn't care about that other stuff as long as we were married."

"I know, but you are going to be the Lady of an Ancient and Revered House. I just wanted to marry you as well but every woman should have a wedding fit for a princess. Especially you! If I followed those ideas then the next thing you'll say is that we can go across town and have our honeymoon at a Motel 6."

"Being with you forever is all I care about."

"Me too but, I still want this day to be special for you."

She grabbed him by the shirt and kissed him hard. "It is. Trust me."

The next sound heard was Luna clearing her throat. "Are you two going to get married or are you going to stand there and talk about it all day? I do have pictures to take you know."

Harry chuckled and turned to the family. "Sorry about that. Megan and I have spent a lot of time researching the Peverell family traditions and this wedding is part of that. My family chose a simple wedding such as this without the grandeur and extravagance as they felt a true wedding was the joining of our hearts and not some fancy show. As you just heard, we agree to disagree in this because my Megan has done so much for me; there is nothing I could ever do to make it up to her. (She squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek.) We thank you for coming today to share in our joining and ask that our family oaths be invoked for this ceremony as Peverell family magic will be used to complete the bond."

As they turned back to each other, Azrael appeared in his reaper form but quickly waved his hand so that all could see him as Harry and Megan did. Once he did this, everyone gasped as the spirits of Charlus, Dorea, James, Lily and Sirius appeared in the seats that had been reserved for Harry's family.

Kathleen felt someone beside her and turned to find Mikey sitting there. She let out a large sob as Mikey turned pleadingly to Azrael who once again waved his hand and allowed Mikey to take a more solid form. His arms were quickly around his mother as she cried in happiness. In his soft voice, he said "Cedric, your place is here beside me as you have been there for my sister when I couldn't."

As Cedric moved to the seat, he was quickly hugged by Mikey with him saying 'Thank you' over and over again.

Azrael said "I am only here as the patriarch of the family to witness this joining. There are no words needed from me as only the hearts and souls of these two can work this wondrous magic."

The entire audience was still gaping at the scene before them as Azrael pulled out a dagger and held it out in front of them. As one, both Harry and Megan clasped their right hands around the blade at the tip. Smiling beautifully at Harry, Megan pulled their hands down across the blade until blood was dripping from the hilt of the blade. They kept their hands clasped as Azrael pulled the blade out from between their hands as they stood there staring into each others' eyes with their hands still clasped.

Harry said "Megan, without you, I wouldn't be here now. You are the one who gave me hope against hopelessness and taught me how to love. You are my heart and the one who keeps me anchored to this plane. By sharing our blood, we become one. I am yours and you are mine into eternity."

Megan looked at him with eyes shining. "Harry, you taught me as much as I ever taught you. I never saw my worth until I saw it in your eyes. I didn't know what real love was until you came into my life and I am the better person for it. By sharing our blood, we become one. I am your and you are mine into eternity."

As they leaned forward and kissed, a bright glow surrounded them and continued even after they parted. Everyone could see the tendrils of magic that were linking Megan with every single member of Harry's family until there was a bright flash and the ring of Lady Peverell appeared on her hand.

Azrael placed his hands on both of their shoulders "Welcome to the family granddaughter."

She smiled and gave him a hug. "Thank you grandfather. Especially for…"

"It's the least I could do for family." He said as he gazed at the loving scene between Mikey and the Jones.

**LC**

Once the spirits faded which was quite a while as they took the time to speak to those who had helped Harry, the entire group was led back to the Manor for the dinner that was to follow. Although most of the older families were well accustomed to the extravagant weddings thrown by their peers, the whole crowd in attendance today said that they had never seen a more simple yet beautiful wedding that was not about putting on a show but were filled with the emotions and love shared by the couple. The girls of the group had even asked Dobby and Winky if the chapel could be recreated when they wed as well.

As the dinner wound down, Harry and Megan said their goodbyes as they left to go on their honeymoon. After they left, Kathleen finally couldn't take it anymore and asked "Daphne, just where was Harry taking my daughter?"

"Welllll, Harry told me as Lady Peverell, she needed to learn the family magic so he took her to officially meet his family."

Kathleen jumped up and screeched "He took her through the Veil?"

Daphne chuckled "Of course he did Aunt Kat, what do you think the blood marriage was all about? She now has the blood of a Peverell flowing through her; she will be protected just as Harry is. He even offered to blood adopt me as his sister but my status as the Heiress of House Greengrass prevents it. Damn shame that."

Reggie chuckled "He told me what he was doing. Megan will get to spend time with Mikey once again. Did you know that as thanks to our family, Azrael sought him out and then took him to live at the Manor with Harry's family?"

Jonathan added "That's not all; he also told Daphne that when our times come, we also will have a place in the Manor as Harry's family."

Amelia sat there for a minute before asking "Do any of you know what the big secret was that Jamie wouldn't tell me?"

Luna replied "That's an easy one Aunt Amelia; Dumbledore's aneurism was not unexpected."

"What? How?"

"I'm surprised you didn't see it yourself as you were there. During that last Wizengamot meeting when Dumbledore was giving Harry such a hard time, he made a gesture at the old fool and set the whole thing up."

She looked blankly at Luna until she said "Wandless magic Auntie. That gesture was Harry casting a clotting spell at Albus' leg. The amazing thing is that there is no evidence and it wouldn't have harmed Albus at all if he hadn't let his blood pressure shoot up."

Reggie threw his head back and started laughing. Everyone looked at him funnily until he calmed down. "Don't you see that Harry even took away his desire to go down in a blaze of glory and be remembered as a great wizard? Instead he died a nobody."

Luna watched Amelia for a minute before saying "Family secrets Auntie. Besides it's not like you didn't want to strangle him either."

Amelia finally chuckled "I guess you're right. It's not like it could be proven anyway. Does he have any plans for the rest of the staff?"

Daphne replied "No, they are already disgraced so we thought that we would get on with our lives and quit worrying about them."

Augusta asked "What about his former friends?"

Cedric replied "We are done with them. Neville and Susan have a chance but it will be entirely up to them."

She nodded "Neville is truly repentant about it and wants nothing more than to be given another chance. He has promises to distance himself from the others and requested that we look into another school for him next year."

Amelia added "Susan is still being Susan. I hope when those pictures come out in the Prophet that it drives home just what she has lost as it was supposed to be Neville and Susan standing there beside him or with him."

Cedric asked "What do you mean?"

Daphne answered "The alliances of the truly old houses were very binding. If Harry had been raised as was intended, it would have more than likely had been him and Susan marrying today. They would have grown up with each other and been around each other enough so that the infamous Potter bond would have formed between them."

Amelia nodded.

Cedric asked "You're from a very old family, how does this stuff affect you?"

Daphne replied "Luckily, our alliances were with Davis and Moon who only had daughters but even then it wouldn't have mattered now anyway."

"Why?"

Jonathan answered "Harry claimed her as his sister. By the old ways, when he did that, whoever courts or asks for her hand not only had to ask me but Harry as well. With his status, he could even overrule me if I said yes."

"So it is just like mine and Megan's situation."

Amos said "Yes and no. Your situation is different because you and Megan literally became brother and sister due to the oath you took to Mikey. In their case, an alliance was formed between Ancient Houses and under the rules governing them, if anything were to happen to Jonathan, it would be Harry's responsibility to take care of House Greengrass and her members."

Cho said "I don't understand."

Daphne smiled "I know it sounds convoluted and you would be right but if Daddy were to die, Harry would in effect be Lord Greengrass until I could produce an heir."

Cedric smiled "So according to the old ways, Harry basically blocked any husband of yours from ever taking control over your house through you."

"Exactly!"

"Wow, ancient family rules go even deeper than the pureblood ways. How come we aren't taught this? Most of us just assume that the ancient families just think they are better than us."

Daphne smiled "No, we are just trained to protect the family line above anything else. Once a family achieves ancient status, they are mentored by other ancient families in the new set of rules they are subjected to."

Cho asked "Then why are you telling us this now? We don't have that kind of status."

Daphne smirked. "Are you ready to be confused?"

"I guess."

"Harry married Megan. Because of his status and because Uncle Reggie is his proxy, House Jones will be elevated rather quickly. Cedric's connection with Megan along with Amos' being a proxy for Harry will likewise cause House Diggory to be elevated. Your connection with Cedric which we assume is a permanent one (They both blushed.) will see to the elevation of House Chang. As family, Davis and Moon will also have their status advanced."

Cedric asked "So what does all this mean?"

"House Greengrass along with Bones and Longbottom have been charged with mentoring the other families in the ancient house ways as well as helping Harry achieve his full potential."

Cedric asked "What about Luna?"

Luna said "Don't worry about Luna. The Lovegoods have their own secrets which will be revealed in time."

**LC**

Harry and Megan's first stop on the secret honeymoon plans was at the island that Sirius first escaped to after he left Harry at Hogwarts. They spent a week there just getting used to the idea that they were married at sixteen and while they shared the same bed, they kept the activities to a minimum as both knew they had a year before Megan needed to get pregnant and neither were quite yet ready to take that final step.

There was an old house elf named Porthos who tended to the place and over the course of the week, he was given instructions on what they would like done to the place so that it would become their primary vacation getaway. At the week of the week, it was a reluctant Megan who wrapped her arms around Harry as they left for the next destination on Harry's secret honeymoon.

When they reappeared, it was on the platform holding the Veil in the Department of Mysteries. When he took off her blindfold, she looked up and the archway and asked "Can I really go this time?"

"Are you the true Lady Peverell?"

She smiled "I've got the ring."

"Then I guess we'll just have to find out." With that said, he grabbed her and leapt into the Veil. She screamed all the way through the wormhole until they landed in a tangle of limbs.

"Merlin Harry, you could've killed me."

Harry looked up into her eyes from where she landed on him and laid his head back laughing. She growled out "What's so damn funny?"

When Harry finally stopped laughing, he said "Well the killed comment was just hilarious since we have crossed over."

She gulped as she stared at him wide eyed. "Are we really on the other side? It doesn't look like what I thought heaven would be."

As they got up, Harry said "Well, grandfather explained it to me this way. Heaven or Asgard or whatever you want to call the afterlife is supposed to be a reward for living a good life. According to him, Heaven is different for each person."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, say you are a huge Star Trek fan. To you, traveling around the universe in a space ship may be the perfect way to spend eternity but to the Peverells and Potters, being surrounded by family is the perfect way to live out eternity. Up until recently, it has been my parents and grandparents with the occasional ancestors dropping in that lived in Potter Manor."

"Wait a minute, Potter Manor exists here?"

"Yes and it is a place that you will come to love as much as I do."

"As long as I'm with you I'm sure I will but what has changed recently?"

"Well, Sirius was brought to live amongst them as well as Mikey."

"Mikey is here?"

"Yes Baby, grandfather saw how much our earthly family meant to us and as a reward to them and to us, he has expanded Potter Manor so that whenever they pass over, we won't lose them and we will always have each other. Mum was really excited that she will have more people to hang out with eventually. He hasn't said it but I think it is a way to repay the Potter family for all the crap we were put through."

"Well, if any family deserves it, yours does."

"Ours baby."

She blushed "Well, you know what I mean."

"Well, don't think your time here will be only spent in bed with you trying to have your way with me. Mum already has your education all mapped out and is looking forward to spending time with you."

"Wait a minute, my education? What about my vacation?"

"Oh, you'll get that too, it's just my family doesn't want an ignorant Lady Peverell running around."

She growled at him and he ran off laughing as she chased him. Before she knew it, they were running through trees and came across the family standing in front of a large manor house. Lily said "It's not nice to tease you wife son."

"Aw Mum, what do you call that whole thong thing she pulled on me last year?"

Dorea said "That was to finally get your attention. I've already told you how thick you Potter men are."

Megan finally caught up to him and smacked him on the back of the head.

"Hey, what was that for?"

"Being an ass, what else?"

He looked at his dad and granddad and asked "Isn't there some kind of rule about assault on a Lord?"

Charlus said "I've learned that it's best not to speak of such things. What happens between a man and his wife should remain between them."

Dorea looked at him and said "Good Answer."

Charlus gave Harry a glance and said "Damn right it was."

Mikey ran forward and hugged his sister as the young couple was led into the Manor. They would end up staying for about four years behind the Veil which was about a month in the outside world. When they finally returned, both seemed to have grown closer as well as matured physically. When Kathleen asked why they had come back so soon, Megan simply stated that they had had their time together and now it was time to start their family which was impossible to do on the other side.

**LC**

Luna held on tightly to the pictures taken at the wedding and offered an exclusive to the Daily Prophet as long as they worked with her and on her and Daphne's timetable. They wanted the release of the article to have the most effect and waited until January 3rd as they knew the students would be traveling on January 2nd.

The post owls on the morning of the third were very few and were quickly overwhelmed by the Prophet's delivery owls that it seemed dropped a copy of the paper in front of every person in the Great Hall and did not even wait for payment before they took to wing once again. The papers were being opened in confusion until they saw the headlines and the picture of Harry and Megan kissing with a bright white glow surrounding them that accompanied it.

_Lord Peverell off the Market_

_By: Daphne Greengrass _

_Photos By: Luna Lovegood_

_In a very private ceremony that was only attended by trusted friends and family, Harrison James Peverell married Megan Alexis Jones and took her as his Lady Peverell. For those of you who do not know, House Peverell is of the highest standings in our society as it is classed a Most Ancient and Revered House. The only other houses that share this classification are the Houses of Emrys, Le Fey, and the four Founders. _

_The couple chose a simple and private ceremony instead of a lavish affair in following the traditions of the Peverell family. When asked about it Lady Peverell simple said:_

"_Most girls, and I was one of them, dream about the fairy tale wedding where the bride is turned into a princess for the day. Sadly for most brides, that day is the only day that she feels like a princess. However, I just married the love of my life that treats me like a princess every day. The ceremony may have been simple but it joined us eternally and in that respect, I got the fairy tale and the happily every after."_

_When I asked Lord Peverell, he merely said:_

"_My wife (Here Lord Peverell paused to smile for a minute.) sorry about that…My wife may say she is the lucky one but it is me who is truly blessed to have such a beautiful lady at my side who loves me for me, faults and all, and asks nothing in return than to share her life with her. It has always been my deepest desire to have someone in my life that truly returns the love I give to her."_

_The trusted friends and family of Lord and Lady Peverell wish them the best and all our love as they start the journey of their shared lives._

_For more exclusive photos, see page 2. _

A deathly silence fell across the hall as everyone took in every bit of the article. The silence was soon broken by sobs as Hermione ran out of the hall. As Neville turned the page on his paper, he deflated as he saw the picture of Harry and Megan with Augusta and Amelia. He remembered the day after Christmas when Augusta said she had some business and left him home alone for several hours. It was also a further reminder of how bad he had broke tradition as a Longbottom male had always stood with a Potter male at their wedding. Susan's face also became pale when she saw the picture. It was a great insult to not even be invited to a wedding of an allied house. It was then that she realized what she had done and how House Bones was now at risk due to her actions. She silently prayed that her Aunt Amelia had a lot of years ahead of her because as soon as she was gone, House Bones would begin to wither and die.

At the head table, the staff was very quiet. It was customary and tradition that one's head of house at Hogwarts was invited to a wedding of their former charges. Minerva sat there stoically as she had just received a slap in the face but it wasn't as if she didn't expect it. With the loss of Albus and his influence on her, her eyes were beginning to finally open to the extent that she had wronged the Potter family. On the other end of the table, Pomona Sprout had tears running down her cheeks as the truth of her actions hit home and how she was no longer welcome amongst two families that she had once been close to.

While the Hufflepuff table was saddened at their exclusion, the Gryffindor table was mortified. They had the entire term to think about the words spoken at the opening feast and every single thing said had come to pass. The Quidditch team imploded and had not won a single match so far this year. The loss of Harry from the team and in the house had seen their stars falling rapidly and proven to them that old phrase of reaping what you sow. They were even lagging far behind in the house cup due to the change in Hermione Granger and how she hardly ever spoke aloud in class or helped her housemates with their studies.

The entire Great Hall was startled when Ronald Weasley finally pulled his face out of his plate and paid attention to the paper in front of him. As he was the picture and read the article, he yelled out "Bloody Hell! You'd think the stupid git would at least invite his best mate to his wedding."

As the rest of the hall stared at him in disbelief, Ginny and the twins all exchanged a look. With a nod, they did a three count of rock/ paper/ scissors and then exposed their hands. Ginny quietly stood and walked over behind Ron. She quietly said "Ron?"

As he turned to look at her, her fist connected with his jaw as she laid him out on the floor. When he looked up at her rubbing his jaw, he asked "What the hell was that for?"

"Because you started this whole thing which led to Harry cutting ties with our whole family."

**LC**

When they returned after their honeymoon, they learned that the large tract of land that ran between the Jones and the Diggory estates was owned by the Black family. It took them all of three days to find a suitable spot for their home and contact the designers and builders. Once it was completed, Harry personally warded the property against unwelcome guests. Peverell Hall was built on a rather large scale to accommodate the rather large family he and Megan wanted as well as enough room for any of the extended family to feel welcome and not like they were in the way. For most of the pureblood families, the size of the manor was used to show status but in this case, no one would ever see the Hall except for family.

Peverell Hall became the center point of the family as Luna, Daphne, Cedric, and Cho made their home with Harry and Megan and Dobby and Winky. Their other house guests included Fleur who maintained a room there since they stayed over several nights a week and Poppy who had a permanent room but was using her first free time in years to visit family. By the end of August, the NEWTs were done and the kids were on their way back to the island for a nice relaxing vacation.

Harry and Cedric were in heaven as they were now surrounded by five beautiful topless girls thank to Luna and Fleur. By the time they arrived back in England with nice dark tans and no visible tan lines above the waist, Cedric had asked Cho for her hand and she had accepted. The other big news, which was confirmed by Poppy, was that Harry and Megan were expecting their first child.

**LC**

Harry's desire for privacy along with his refusing to allow anyone in the Hall except for family, led to them having to conduct business away from home. It was one such occasion where Harry finally decided to honor Arthur's request for a meeting led Harry to take drastic action.

The meeting in question was to be held in a private room in the Leaky Cauldron with just Harry, Megan, and Arthur in attendance. In Arthur's exuberance at finally getting to speak with Harry, he couldn't keep his mouth shut and told his family over dinner. Between Molly and the kids, everyone soon knew exactly where Harry would be at a given time and when they arrived, the crowd pressed in on them. With her emotions being all over the place due to her pregnancy, Megan panicked and gripped Harry tightly. His concern over her outweighed anything else and with a quick glare to Arthur, he popped them both back to Peverell Hall. As the crowd began to disperse, Hedwig flew through a window and dropped a letter in front of Arthur. As he picked it up, it turned into a howler and said:

_Arthur Weasley,_

_You are well aware of my desire for privacy. Thanks to your actions today, I have had to call a healer to tend to my wife as my attempts to calm her down have failed. My only course of action at this point is to treat today's incident as a failed attack on my house as you have just reaffirmed that your house cannot be trusted. Any further attempts to contact me will see this incident being turned over to the DMLE for a full investigation. _

_Lord Harrison James Peverell_

The incident fueled Harry's paranoia to the point that his protective nature kicked in. His desire for privacy and safety for his family would last until Megan and Daphne could once again rein him in but not until he had plans in the works. At the weekly family meeting, Harry stood in front of the family and told them that due to recent events, his floo would be secured once again.

With tears in her eyes, Kathleen asked "WHY?"

Harry took her hand and said "I'm sorry but that whole thing that happened with Arthur was too much. We can't go anywhere in public without being mobbed. If not that then you have the problem of me being loved and hated for taking down Dumbledore and Voldemort not to mention our former classmates constantly begging to renew our friendship. I have to be on guard everywhere we go and home is the only place I can feel comfortable."

Celeste asked "But why shut us out?"

Harry sighed "I'm not shutting you out. I'm shutting out anyone else who comes in your house."

Amos asked "What does that mean?"

"Uncle Amos, do you conduct business at your house?"

"You know I do."

Harry looked around at all the Lords. "Do you sometimes meet with people we don't trust?"

Jonathan answered "You know we do."

"Have you ever thought about with the relaxed security we have on the floos between our houses that if someone makes it in the door to one of the houses, then he might as well be in each and every house. I'm sorry but I won't take that chance with Megan and our children."

Lord Moon said "You do have a valid point."

Lady Moon stood and said "Well, I agree with what you are saying but we like the way things are and want to keep it that way. Do you know how often we drift from house to house over the course of a day?"

Harry replied "Yes Ma'am I do. I cherish the closeness we have but until you close your manors to outsiders, I won't take the chance."

Reggie said "Harry, I know how badly that incident affected you and I understand your desire to keep Megan safe. Hell, I agree with you but if you do this, then our wives will make our lives hell for it."

Kathleen smiled "Oh wonderful Reg, you have finally learned something"

Everyone in the room laughed at Reggie's expense until Kathleen said "Ok son, you've proved your point. What do you want?"

Harry looked at her and said "You wound me mother."

"Can it Harry. We've all learned to accept your quirks just as you have ours but I know you well enough to know that you have an ulterior motive here."

Megan spoke up. "Too bad love, even Mum has figured you out."

Harry laughed "Yeah I guess she has. As you know, it is always about me and my fear that someone will use you to get to me or worse Megan and our children. Before you say anything, even I know better than to mess with Megan when she's mad or being protective but in her current state, she is vulnerable and I love her too much to let anything happen to her."

Daphne chuckled "Just get on with it and quit trying to gain everyone's sympathy."

Harry smiled at her. "I won't secure my floo if you will start conducting meetings somewhere else besides you home."

Justine said "But we've always held meetings at the seat of power for the family."

Harry raised his eyebrow and looked at Daphne. "Mum, I'll agree with you to a point but I'm with Harry on this. Even though they spouted a pureblood agenda, the Death Eaters still broke tradition and attacked families in their homes. Our houses aren't the seat of power; the Heads themselves are that power."

Jonathan said "Well said daughter. Now, if you would be so kind as to let us old folks in on the plan you have so obviously cooked up."

Harry asked "As most of you know, real estate is a valuable commodity and can be a huge asset to your portfolios."

Lord Davis asked "What does that have to do with you shutting down your floo?"

"Are any of you familiar with Odds Alley?"

Reggie answered "Yeah, it was a failed business attempt by several of the darker families many years ago. It was intended to be the magical version of Las Vegas until Voldemort's last rise and things fell apart."

Harry nodded. "Where do you think those families got the capital to stake their claim? It just so happens that the Black family held all the deeds for Odds Alley and now it belongs to yours truly."

Jonathan snorted "What good is a bunch of run down and collapsing buildings?"

Daphne answered "Oh not much. But what if the family went in and tore down said buildings and built offices in their place."

Lord Moon asked "And this would be where we conducted business from now on?"

Harry smiled "Yes, imagine the Grey Conglomerate building a series of secure office building along the new Park Alley or maybe even Legal Alley that would be marketed to the Lords and Ladies as a place where they can conduct business and have meetings that would be safe and secure."

Jonathan said "I'm in but Grey Conglomerate?"

Harry laughed "Fine, name it whatever you want but you try to find something that doesn't sound idiotic when you try to come up with something using our names."

Jonathan chuckled. "Point taken."

Reggie asked "How do you intend to cover the cost of the warding so that your claim of safety in a reality? With what you are suggesting, warding that many buildings will cost as much as construction."

Megan stood and grabbed Harry's hand. She looked up at him and asked "Can I?"

He smiled and nodded. After a quick kiss to his cheek, she said "It will be the first job for the newly reestablished Potter Warding LLC."

Reggie asked "You're going public?"

Megan grinned "As if Daddy, Potter Warding only does business with people we like. There's a reason Limited is in the name."

Lord Davis asked "What kind of wards will you be using?"

Harry said "Most are family designs but I can tell you that a team of curse breakers for Gringotts couldn't get in unless they were invited. Once you are invited in, the moment you leave, your access is removed and that's only if you can get through the intent based wards."

Jean said "Intent based wards are a myth."

"Not anymore."

Jean said "I'm in if only to see the wards in action."

Justine asked "How will the offices be set up?"

"I thought two floors with six offices upstairs surrounding a reception area and a lounge. Downstairs will be spilt in two with a law office on either side."

Jonathan asked "Do you know who will be in our building?"

"The Tonks Law Firm because they are family and some friends of Daphne. What was their name sis?"

Daphne's monotone reply was "Screwem, Goode, and Rollem."

Jonathan said "Good choices. The Tonks are excellent in real estate law and let's just say the other firm will be good for what ever else comes along. I'd suggest we put them on retainer now."

By the end of the discussion, everyone was convinced and saw it as a great opportunity even though they grumbled at Harry for trying to manipulate them into doing it. Harry's only response was to hug Daphne and tell them he learned for the best.

**LC**

By the end of the year, the Legal Alley project was well underway and their attention turned to the future. Megan and Harry were in the office they shared in the Hall going over the different investments and the proposals that both banks were offering them. Splayed out on the table in front of them were various financial publications as well as research into several companies. It wasn't long before Daphne and Luna gravitated to where they were and then not long followed by Cedric and Cho. As they all went over the material, each one had a different insight into how things could go and by the end of the night, a challenge was placed on an initial investment of fifty thousand galleons to see who could make the best return.

Cedric and Luna deflated at the amount which was noted by Harry and Megan. They gave each other look followed by a nod from Harry. Megan said "Ced and Luna, you are covered."

"Huh?" was said twice.

Harry laughed "We'll front the money for you to get started."

Cedric said "But Harry?"

"No buts. Just think of it as an early wedding present."

"What about me?"

Megan laughed "Luna, we'll gladly front you the money as well even though you will probably kick all our tails."

Luna smiled and said "Dang straight I will and thank you."

**LC**

The challenge turned into much more as the adults, including the ladies got drawn in to the competition. It may have seemed weird to others but this family thrived on challenges. The first year had been spent keeping Harry alive as they worked to take down two dark lords and keep Harry's houses from being taken over. The next year was spent completing educations while the adults worked to change laws and get support for their ideas. With the two dark idiots having been dealt with as well as things progressing nicely in the Wizengamot, the family was growing bored and all they had to look forward to at the moment was the birth of Harry and Megan's first child.

The new family challenge as well as family fun time became a game of monopoly but on a global scale. It was not an attempt to take over the world financially and the adults could see what Harry and Megan were doing. Harry was lucky in that he inherited a rather large fortune. Since Megan was his wife, she was taken care of as well even though she would have the Jones estate that would be hers to manage one day until an heir could take control. They knew that Daphne would one day take over the Greengrass businesses but they worried about Cedric and Cho as well as Luna. Their greatest desire was to see them become financially independent on their own and this game was the way to make it happen without making it seem like charity.

Once the games had begun, a lot of money was invested in Legal Alley and it was looking like the return would be good. The fact that Harry warded the buildings in exchange for a lifetime lease on an office only made the venture more profitable. Harry used the results his mother had gotten to steer the others into the muggle stock market and helped them do the research to improve their holdings. The first major gain most of them saw was a year later when Legal Alley officially opened and they saw money coming back in instead of going out. Although it was never vocalized, it was Harry and Daphne in her position as the Greengrass heiress who took a majority of the risk on the venture. It was their hope that if this venture paid off, their next would be a magical shopping mall in yet another abandoned alley.

As profits began so climb, the game became the main topic of the family when they were all together. It even got to the point where the game was interfering with regular business during family meetings and it was decided that two meetings would be held each week, one for the game and one for family business. Harry and Megan often laughed at how their attempt to subtlety help Cedric and Cho turned into so much more.

**LC**

Once Peverell children started making regular appearances as well as Cho being pregnant with their first child, Daphne and Luna's biological clocks started ticking as their love for Harry and Megan's children ignited the desire to start their own families.

This is where the living situation was found most appealing as the group was always there in support of each other. Both Harry and Megan spent many late nights holding a crying Daphne or Luna as yet another relationship would fail to measure up. Eventually, Daphne would find a man who she thought she could build a life with and took the chance. She eventually moved to her own flat above Diagon Alley and began to see Ernie MacMillan seriously. Ernie had evidently grown up a lot since school and had pulled out all the stops to win Daphne's heart. He had even passed Harry and Jonathan's approval which allowed the relationship to progress further as well as earned Ernie an invitation to dinner at Peverell Hall. By the time she was twenty one, Daphne was engaged and looking forward to starting her own family.

Within two months after the wedding, she was overjoyed when she found out she was pregnant. Nine months later, her son was born and that's when things started falling apart. As Ernie was from a house of lower rank, the first male child would always be a Greengrass. Ernie assumed since he and she had produced the male heir to the line that he would assume the title of Lord Greengrass from Jonathan at some point. When he was informed differently, he lost control and started beating Daphne. Her immediate reaction was to grab her baby and escape to Peverell Hall where she was protected, loved, and consoled by Harry and Megan. At that point, the only thing that kept Ernie alive was Daphne curled up in Harry's lap as he comforted her and her telling him to leave it be for now.

Ernie knew that Daphne had a meeting with business associates every Wednesday afternoon at three so he lay in wait for her several weeks later. He had been watching every week since she left and she always appeared with Harry. When she appeared this time without him, Ernie pulled her into an alley and once again started beating her demanding the return of his son. Unfortunately for Daphne, Harry was supposed to attend the meeting with her but had been delayed by a few minutes. Thirty minutes late for the meeting, Harry was hurrying through the Alley when he heard muffled cries. As he followed the sounds, he came across the beaten body of Daphne lying in a pool of her own blood.

His first reaction was to scoop her up and apparate straight to St. Mungo's. As soon as he had her under a healer's care, he contacted the entire family. Harry sat at her side with her bruised and bloody hand in his as she was being worked on. Even though he had been asked to leave several times by the staff, Harry refused and with the look in his eye, none of the healers were willing to risk trying to force him out of the room even when they started removing her clothes. As he sat there looking at the broken and bloody body of his beloved sister, he heard the faint sob of 'no Ernie, stop'. It was enough to tell him all he needed to know and he sat there anxiously awaiting more members of the family in a rage he hasn't felt in years.

As soon as they arrived, Harry filled them in on the situation as Justine took Harry's place by Daphne's bedside. As he started towards the door, Megan stepped in front of him with and asked "May I ask what you are doing husband?"

"Ernie is going to pay. I'm declaring vendetta for harming my sister."

She looked at him and rubbed her belly. "James and baby number two will need their daddy. Not to mention you promised me as many as I wanted so don't get yourself killed. He's a sneaky prick."

He nodded to her as Dobby appeared and handed him his cloak. "Gonna go hunting without me?"

"Never"

"How's Daph?"

"Not too good right now but she'll be okay."

"Winky's got the babies."

Harry nodded as Dobby grabbed his arm. As one they appeared in the middle of Diagon Alley in their House of Death personas and stretched out their senses. Harry found him quickly "The prick went back to her flat."

They popped into the flat just behind Ernie who was keeping watch out the door. Harry moved silently forward and said 'BOO' in his ear making Ernie soil his shorts. Dobby immediately bound him and stuck him on a chair as Harry sat down across from him.

In a low voice, Harry said "What am I going to do with you Ernie? Don't you know how dangerous it is to attack a family member of the House of Death?"

He stuttered out "She's not a member of that family. She's a Greengrass."

"She also has a brother not of her blood."

Ernie blustered out. "Potter isn't anything special. That's why he hides out in his manor all the time."

Harry chuckled "My you really played your part well. You're nothing more than a low life scum trying to cash in on the daughter of a wealthy house. I have to admit you had Jonathan and I fooled."

"What do you mean?"

Harry pulled down his hood and stared him straight in the eyes. As Ernie saw Harry Potter appear, he soiled himself again. "No one hurts a member of my family! I think it would be best if your marriage ended and you disappeared."

"I'm not going anywhere. You know the law. Magical marriage is for life."

Harry laughed. "That's assuming you are alive. No, I think Daphne will be free of you real soon and just for kicks, I'll blood adopt baby Julian and forever end your connection to him."

"You can't do that!"

"You keep telling yourself that."

Harry pulled his hood back up and stood as Dobby went around behind Ernie and lifted him to his feet. His nose scrunched up and he made a face. "Harry, granddad's not going to like this. He's shat all over himself."

Harry chuckled. "That seems about right. I had hoped he had changed but I guess he's just the same old whiny little prick he always was."

With a nod, all three disappeared and appeared before the arch. As soon as they appeared, Amelia and Croaker were in front of them.

Amelia said "I heard there was trouble. What are you doing Harry?"

"I'm taking care of my own Auntie. By the old ways, I claim vendetta against this thing for hurting my sister. I will see justice done."

"Then let us try him in the courts. We can get justice there."

"I have no doubt of that Auntie but that would still leave this bog roll married to my sister and I'm not going to allow that."

She looked at him for a minute before finally saying "I understand and you have the right by law. I'll see you tonight."

Harry kissed her cheek. "This is yet another one of those times when we will agree to disagree."

With a glint in her eye, she replied "Oh, I don't disagree with you harry. I just felt required to offer the alternative. Take the trash out so that you can return to your family."

"Yes Ma'am."

Ernie screamed as they stepped towards the Veil. "You can't do this. There are laws."

Harry rewarded him with a deep laugh. "Weren't you one of the ones who said that I had no concern for the rules? Hmm…I guess you were right after all. When it comes to my family, there are no laws that can protect you when you harm one of them."

Harry and Dobby both grabbed an arm and stepped through the Veil. When they arrived, they were met by Azrael who asked "What did he do?"

Dobby replied "He beat Daphne almost to death."

"Yes I had a notice about her but I refused the pickup."

"You can do that?"

"Not very often."

Harry bowed and said "Thank you grandfather."

Azrael grabbed Ernie's arm and led him away as Harry and Dobby stepped back through and immediately popped back to the hospital wing. Daphne's eyes blinked open and saw how Harry was dressed. With a slight smile, she fell back asleep.

When Jonathan saw him, he asked "Did you?"

Harry could only say "I'm sorry to say that Daphne's marriage is over."

"Good."

**LC**

The incident with Daphne forever turned her against men. It took time but she eventually healed from her physical injuries which left scars on her face and across her body. Her emotional trauma went much deeper and it was only her father and Harry who would ever be allowed to touch her again. The incident also had a profound effect on Luna. For a girl who was always so open and loving, she chose to never date again. Harry, Cedric, and Uncle Reggie's were the only male arms she would ever take comfort in.

**LC**

There are many things kept hidden among the old families and none more so than this extended one. The fact that Daphne went on to have two more children who shared her raven hair but surprisingly had blue-green eyes was never spoken about as wasn't Luna's two daughters who had their mother's blond hair but had mesmerizing silver-green eyes. It was rumored that Harry was the father and when they were seen in public, he treated all of the children as his own but as of this point, he had not claimed them officially and nobody was about to comment on it.

**LC**

The betrayers all went along with their lives only without Harry in it. For the twins, they would have an exciting career in creating pranks but they had never gotten their break from Harry so ended up working for Zonko's Joke Shop for many years.

Ginny, Ron, and the chasers would try for years to get positions on professional Quidditch teams before finally giving it up as a lost cause. Cho's prediction had been right and they were effectively black balled from ever finding the fame they once had when Harry was in their life. All would end up in menial jobs trying to eke out a living.

Harry sat down with Mr. Bell one day and released the Bell's from the contracts. James had always thought of him as a brother and under advisement of James and Charlus, Harry had cancelled their debt to the Potter family. At first the family was overjoyed until Harry cancelled the retainer that they were held under stating that he would never feel like he could trust them to represent him after Katie's actions.

Neville and Susan were eventually allowed conditional access to the family in the attempt to give them a chance. Neville eventually worked himself to the point where he could work with the group but he was never considered an insider. Susan on the other hand never allowed her thoughts to sink in after reading the article about Harry's wedding. She constantly allowed her mouth to work more often than her brain and upon Amelia's death; House Bones was released from the alliance. It took her years to finally realize the error of her ways but by that time, it was too late and House Bones was a pale imitation of a once powerful house.

Hermione Granger disappeared after fifth year and her OWLs. According to sources, her parents still resided in Crawley but news of her disappeared right after she left Hogwarts. No one cared enough about her to try and find her.

If Hogwarts' reputation wasn't in tatters from the time Harry left in his fifth year, it was completely destroyed when Harry and Megan refused to allow their first born son to attend when he turned eleven. It was when Minerva McGonagall brought the issue in front of the Wizengamot that she realized she had gone too far and in her arrogance was acting like Albus.

It was five minutes later when the doors flew open and Harry along with Megan, Daphne, and Luna stepped into the chamber. Harry spoke loudly "So you have a problem with my choice in educating MY son and are appealing to these good people to try and force MY son to attend your retched school?"

"It is the law."

Harry chuckled "Yes the law. Hmm…so I guess that a fully qualified group of Witches and Wizards who probably know more about magic than anyone on your staff are incapable of teaching OUR own children about magic. Well, in that case, I propose that the Wizengamot vote to place Hogwarts fully under the Ministry's control as it is the only way I will allow MY children to ever attend."

"You can't do that. The charter states that Hogwarts has autonomous authority in the education of all Wizards and Witches in England."

"Can it Minerva. The charter actually states that Hogwarts has that for all magicals. You have been violating the charter for years. Not that any of the other magical races would ever send their children to that _school_. Is it not enough that the standards at Hogwarts have steadily dropped over the years? I mean, your master Albus allowed the standards to drop during his time and you had the opportunity to set things right but instead, you followed your dead and disgraced master's plans."

"Albus was a great man."

Megan said "Yeah, he was so great he allowed the heir of an Ancient House to be abused for years as you and the staff turned a blind eye and in some cases, actually supported him."

Minerva sputtered.

Harry finally said "In accordance with the charter, I hearby revoke my families' association with the school of Hogwarts and cast my two votes to revoke the charter."

"You can't do that. Beside it takes a three quarters majority for it to pass. If that were not enough, I cast my vote as the holder of Hufflepuff's seat to remain open. You can remove your association all you want but the school will remain open."

Harry stood there and smirked at her. She was growing agitated until Luna said "As the heir to Ravenclaw, I also revoke my family's association with the school and cast my vote that charter be revoked."

Susan Bones stood and said "You cannot do that. Where will our children go to school?"

Harry turned to her and said "That's not really my problem but anything has got to be better than Hogwarts,"

As years passed, Harry never did take up his seats as he preferred to stay in the background and only make appearances when necessary. When the Lords started retiring, he passed all of his proxies to Megan, Daphne, and Cedric as he preferred spending his time with Cho and Luna in raising the children and teaching them all about magic and life. By the time he and Megan decided to stop, they had a male heir for the Peverell, Jones, Potter, and Black lines with a couple of girls thrown in to add to the collection.

On the day that Julian turned seventeen, Daphne reminded everyone of why she was called the Ice Queen. With her son in tow, she went into Gringotts and stripped the Macmillan family of all titles, money and property. While she was thankful for what Harry had done for her, it was her own way of getting her revenge against her ex-husband.


End file.
